<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>won't you promise me? (we'll keep dancing) by mrscolesprouse</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624006">won't you promise me? (we'll keep dancing)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrscolesprouse/pseuds/mrscolesprouse'>mrscolesprouse</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Break Up, Cheating, Childhood Sweethearts, Consensual Underage Sex, F/M, Fall In Love With Riverdale Theme 1: Sugar, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Just a smooch, Love at First Sight, Mentions of smut between Betty and Adam, Pop ships Bughead and won't stop until they get back together, Recreational Drug Use, School Dances, Smut, Soulmates, Years Later, apparently the only way adults can open up is when they’re either drunk or high, but not with bughead</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:41:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>34,687</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrscolesprouse/pseuds/mrscolesprouse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Betty and Jughead see each other from across the room at the Riverdale Secondary School Dance when they’re twelve.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper &amp; Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees, Fall in Love with Riverdale: A Valentine's Event</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. twelve/fourteen/sixteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi my friends!!! this is a little fic with a couple chapters that was initially a oneshot but then turned into a monster...i’ve been working on this fic since June of last year and i’m so glad that i’m finally posting it!!!!! i love it so so much and i hope you do too!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>twelve</b>
</p><p>Jughead hates dances.</p><p>Hates.</p><p>His mom made him dress up in a suit and it’s <em> uncomfortable. </em> The food sucks and he would rather sneak out and ride his bike all the way to Pop’s. </p><p>Granted, it <em> is </em> being held at Riverdale Secondary and <em> not </em> Southside...so that’s a plus side. There’s no trash on the ground and it doesn’t smell of the puke that is the food in the cafeteria. </p><p>But, he’s wearing a <em> suit </em> and he was made the bring Toni along because her parents still haven’t come home from their (now) 3-month-long “vacation.” She’s giving him weary looks and Sweet Pea and Fangs keep laughing at his foul attempt at dancing with her. </p><p>He’s standing at the snack table, practically devouring the only decent food on it, while the teachers and supervisors eye him suspiciously.  He grabs a whole handful of popcorn and shoves it into his mouth as he smiles coyly at the blonde-haired lady sending him dirty looks. </p><p>It’s typical—not just at dances. Him, and the rest of the students who attend the dance from Southside, get looks for simply living on the other side of the town. Yes, his suit may not be as fitted as Jason Blossom’s and <em> yes, he’s going to continue to wear his beanie ma’am </em> but it doesn’t make him any less of a person. </p><p>So this woman, who he thinks might be his dad’s old friend Alice, doesn’t annoy him. He may want to march right up to her privileged ass and tell her that it doesn’t matter that he’s poor or that his father is a drunk gang member and that he’s still a human and very much <em> not </em> his parents. </p><p>But she doesn’t <em> annoy </em> him.</p><p>He keeps eating and he keeps smirking at the lady.</p><p>“Is there a problem ma’am?” He finally says,</p><p>“Yes. You need to share with the others. You’ll finish it before anyone else gets any at this rate.”</p><p>“With all due respect ma’am, I’m hungry, no one else is at the snack table and I don’t remember the last time I had a selection <em> this big </em> of free food. So if you don’t mind, I would like to finish this bowl in peace.” Jughead sasses, until she turns with a huff and storms away like the 12-year-olds surrounding her. Jughead grins in victory and turns to catch a glimpse of gold looking at him.</p><p>Not <em> gold, </em> per se, but splashes of golden hair. It cascades around a girl with green eyes and a pastel pink dress. She’s bouncing on the balls of her feet and standing next to the boy with red hair Jughead sees at the park with his dog sometimes. The girl with golden hair stops dancing and smiles at him.</p><p>Jughead’s heart glows.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>Betty loves dances.</p><p>The people, the music, the excuse to wear something other than the sweater her mom makes her wear. </p><p>She’s been doing that lately. Controlling her. </p><p>Betty wants to wear that new dress Polly bought her with her allowance money. She wants to eat that extra cupcake. She wants to have the extra whipped cream Pop offered on her milkshake.</p><p>But she <em> can’t. </em></p><p>Because her mom said so. </p><p>Betty’s a people pleaser. Always wanting to make people happy. And her mom’s been sad lately, what with the sudden disappearing act of her father. </p><p>So she wants to make her happy. </p><p>But she’s 12 years old. </p><p>She was supposed to be having fun as a kid but her mother says she’s eating too much, running around too much, wearing clothes not fit for her age, spending too much time with Archie. </p><p>So the dance is a perfect time to catch a break. She can finally wear her new dress and she doesn’t have to worry about her mom.</p><p>Until she volunteers herself as a supervisor.</p><p>Betty loves dances.</p><p>She doesn’t love her mom right now.</p><p>She’s dancing next to Archie and he’s blabbering on about what Nancy is wearing and what Valerie said to him and Betty has to physically restrain herself from rolling her eyes to the back of her head because he’s such a player. A 12-year-old Casanova. </p><p>Betty dreamt of being with Archie. The perfect relationship with the boy next door. She wanted to kiss him in the rain and be able to call him her Romeo but he gets—let’s be honest—distracted. She got over her crush on him the day he ditched her for Cheryl Blossom because <em> she said his hair looks pretty.  </em></p><p>She realized then that she needed a boy who would treat her right and sit with her when she needed him the most. A boy who would listen to her and comfort her. </p><p>Preferably without red hair. </p><p>Maybe brown.</p><p>Or black.</p><p>Yeah. </p><p>She didn’t need Archie’s constant strain on her self esteem and never truly be appreciated. He’s a good <em> friend. </em></p><p>So instead of dreaming of a great love with Archie, she reads books and dives into worlds that will take her to a place where love sticks. Where there’s no fighting. No concealed screams and passive-aggressive digs at the dinner table. No broken families or feeling like you’re not good enough. </p><p>Where her sister is happy and not sneaking out all the time. </p><p>Where she’s not alone.</p><p>Betty can see her mother standing near the snack table with a boy in a peculiar hat. She can see him talking to her mother and then her mother walks off with a huff. The boy smiles triumphantly and turns to catch her eye. His eyes are like diamonds, shining under the crappy light of the disco ball. She smiles as he shoves his face with popcorn. </p><p>He smiles back. </p><p>And she’s gone.</p><p>~</p><p>
  <b>fourteen </b>
</p><p>She’s hoping he’s there this year. He wasn’t last year. She’d been dressed in her prettiest dress and he hadn’t shown. </p><p>She’d come to learn (from Archie) his name is <em> Jughead. </em> He’s from the Southside and even though her mother would probably—scratch that, <em> definitely </em>hate that she is crushing on a Southsider, she doesn’t care. </p><p>Polly didn’t care. Granted, she <em> is </em> with Jason Blossom, the heir to the throne of Riverdale’s richest (and bitchiest) family but her mother still wouldn’t approve. </p><p>She hasn’t spoken to him but she’s seen him floating around Riverdale every now and then and she’s determined to make a move tonight at their last dance before their freshman year of high school. </p><p>She’s standing in front of her mirror in her pleated white dress with ruffles and her light pink flats that match with the colour of her lip gloss. Her softly curled hair is out and is pinned behind her ear on one side. She swipes on a last layer of mascara before closing the tube and exhaling. </p><p>Just as she places it back into her drawer, her door swings open and there stands her beautiful cheerleader sister sporting a mischievous smile. She all but skips into Betty’s room and pops herself down on Betty’s bed unceremoniously.</p><p>“Soooooo who are you all dressed up for? Is that lipgloss I see? How’s Alice gonna feel about that?” </p><p>Betty joins Polly on her bed and sits gracefully, patting her skirt down to avoid creases just as her mother has taught her. </p><p>“No one Polly. You <em> know </em> I always get dressed up for this stuff.” Betty says, with the lift of an eyebrow.</p><p>“Oh, so it’s <em> not </em>for a certain Southside dreamboat with—what was it again? ‘Diamond eyes that sparkle when the sun hits them just right’.” Polly says wistfully as she grabs Betty’s diary on her bedside table and hugged it to her chest dreamily. </p><p>Betty snatches her diary out of Polly’s hands as a bright pink blush covers her face in embarrassment. “Did you <em> read </em> my diary?” </p><p>“To be fair, you left it <em> open. </em>I’m surprised you could be so careless when mom basically searches for our diaries to read.”</p><p>“I—yeah you’re right.”</p><p>“Anyways...do you think he’ll be at the dance this year?”</p><p>“Polly,” Betty shakes her head and stands, “I don’t know and I really should get going.” </p><p>“Come <em> on! </em> Tell me something! You’ve been crushing on him for a while. You haven’t even had a <em> real </em> conversation with him and you only ever see him floating around Pop’s. Please tell me you’ll talk to him today?” </p><p>Betty grabs her purse off her desk and stops before she leaves her room. She turns back to Polly and sighs, “That’s the plan. Hopefully, I won't freeze up with anxiety before we have a real conversation.” </p><p>Betty walks out of her room but hears Polly <em> you go, girl! </em>before she steps down the stairs, out the door and into the belly of the beast.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He can’t believe he’s going to another one of these things, especially with everything that’s been happening lately. His mom practically begged him to bring his sister, murmuring something about <em> it might not happen again, </em> and he has to wear a stupid suit again. This time, he ditches the suit jacket and tie and sticks with a white button-up and slacks. He doesn’t give a shit how he looks, he just wants his mom to be happy.</p><p>She hasn’t been happy lately.</p><p>His dad is driving his family apart. Drinking into the depths of his soul and leaving beer bottles all over the trailer, which has been looking a little worse for wear lately. The bills keep being paid late so the lights keep cutting out and the water runs hot for two minutes before it turns cold. </p><p>His dad got fired and when he’s not lying half-dead on the couch, his mom is yelling at him to get his ass up and into a job to provide for his family. </p><p>Needless to say, Gladys is one beer bottle away from flying the coup so Jughead is doing everything in his power to make her happy.</p><p>That means going to this stupid dance with Jellybean.</p><p>But he’s not <em> all </em>sad about it. No matter how much he claims to hate dances, he’s rather excited to be going for one sole reason only.</p><p>He gets to see Betty Cooper.</p><p>He’d come to learn (from Archie) that she’s from the Cooper family who live on Elm Street and have a seemingly perfect life. He knows she’s way too good for him but he thinks it would be okay if he could just look at her from a distance without seeming like a creep. He sees her around Pop’s a lot and they often make eye contact. He’ll give her gentle smiles and she’ll return them but that doesn’t mean anything.</p><p>He just hopes she’s not a stranger to him. </p><p>I mean, technically they’re strangers but he wants to talk to her and hopefully, she will speak back to him and not walk away with a huff like every other Northsider who looks at a Southsider. He doesn’t think she’s like that but then again, her mother <em> is </em>Alice Cooper—the bitch who was judging him for simply eating popcorn. (He’ll never let her live that down.) </p><p>He places his beanie firmly on his head just as his eight-year-old sister enters with her hair all messed up. “Juggie, can you braid my hair please?” she says, innocently.</p><p>“Where’s mommy?” He says as he turns to face her. </p><p>“She’s yelling at daddy again. I don’t think he’s listening.” </p><p>Jughead furrows his brow in disappointment before exhaling, walking over to his bed and sitting down. He pats the side to get her to sit and she skips over happily. Before she sits, she brings her arms around Jughead’s neck and snuggles into his chest. </p><p>“You’re better at braiding anyways.” </p><p>Jughead chuckles and rubs her back before pulling her out of his embrace, “It’ll be over soon. Dad will get his shit together and we’ll be okay. I promise Beanie.” </p><p>She sits next to him and he starts to part her hair into three strands. He brings the right piece over the middle piece, replaces the middle piece with the left piece and repeats over and over until her long dusty blonde hair is in a long braid. She turns to look at him and gives him a goofy smile.</p><p>“I hope so.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em> .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>She’s walking to school with Archie who’s babbling on about <em> another </em> girl that she had no idea even existed in Riverdale but she’s not really listening. She wants to talk about herself for once. She has no idea how to talk to a <em> guy. </em> Yeah sure, she’s been best friends with one for her whole life but this is different. She wants to be able to talk about what she likes and she wants a different dynamic then best friends. She wants him to <em> like </em> her. </p><p>“...but I think Melody wants to dance with me even though me and Valerie were a thing and apparently that’s a big no-no with bestfrie—Betty? Are you listening?”</p><p>Betty shakes her head and zones back in. She hadn’t realized she’d drifted off and now Archie’s looking at her like she has two heads. “What? Oh yeah, Archie.” </p><p>What she really wants to do is tell him to listen to <em> her </em> but Alice Cooper taught her not to be selfish so she shuts her mouth.</p><p>Archie continues to talk and Betty keeps her mouth shut, anxiety rising under her skin.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em> .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>He doesn’t remember it being so colourful. Streamers are hanging from the ceiling and there are signs everywhere. When they walk in, Jellybean screams. </p><p>
  <em> She literally screams. </em>
</p><p>“JUGGIE!!!!! LOOK AT IT!!!” </p><p>Oh, he’s looking. And he feels like throwing up. He can see Archie floating around the crowd which means Betty is already here and he feels his hands start to sweat. Jellybean is jumping on the balls of her feet with giddy excitement and Jughead can’t help but smile when she sees her friends and runs off to go to them. </p><p>Sweet Pea said he would <em> ‘rather kill himself’ </em>then go to another one of these dances and Fangs had agreed. He knows Toni is here but he can’t see her yet so he’s just rolling the balls of his feet and looking as awkward as he feels. </p><p>He eventually migrates from standing alone at the entrance to standing alone at the snack table. He can’t see Alice Cooper so he grabs a whole bowl of barbeque crisps and walks to sit on the bleachers. He can see some people looking at him but he doesn’t care, he feels the tang of the crisps on his tongue and he feels like he doesn’t have the world on his shoulders for a second. He closes his eyes and sighs before opening them and seeing Archie walk up to him,</p><p>“Hey man.” He says as he comes to sit next to Jughead on the bleachers. Jughead nods in hello, mouth full. Archie moves his hand so he can grab one but Jughead smacks his hand away and proceeds to eat another crisp. Archie rolls his eyes and moves his body so he’s facing Jughead completely.</p><p>“So, Betty’s looking for you,” Archie says and Jughead chokes on his chip. He begins sputtering and coughing and Archie chuckles as he pats his back, “Okay, buddy. Relax. Cough it out.” </p><p>Jughead looks at Archie with a deadpan look on his face and Archie fails to wipe the amusement off his face. </p><p>“What do you mean, looking for me?” Jughead chokes out as he puts the bowl down and clears his throat again. Archie looks at Jughead like it’s <em> obvious </em> but why would Betty Cooper want <em> him </em>? </p><p>“Dude, she <em> likes </em> you.” </p><p>Jughead’s jaw drops and Archie laughs before physically moving his jaw so it’s closed. He nods to confirm what he said is true and Jughead shakes his head, “There’s no way. You’re wrong. How would you know? How could <em> she </em> like <em> me? </em>” </p><p>Archie shrugs and steals a chip from the bowl, much to Jughead’s annoyance, “I’m her best friend man. I can tell these things. Plus, I’m pretty sure she wrote about you in her diary and she’s like wandering around aimlessly looking for you. Look, see.” They spot Betty turn quickly from looking at them, walking around the dance floor and stopping at the snack table. </p><p>“Her diary?” Jughead whispers to himself before Archie gets up,</p><p>“Anyway, good luck man. I hope you guys talk...finally. It’s kinda annoying being the middleman.” Archie waves Jughead goodbye and Jughead is left awestruck. </p><p>
  <em> Dude, she likes you. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> . </em>
</p><p>
  <em> . </em>
</p><p>
  <em> . </em>
</p><p>
  <em> .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>Betty's mind is in jumbles right now. She literally can’t think of a better word because her mind is screaming at her to <em> justtalktohimheisnotgonnakillyou. </em> The worst part is that he looks so damn good she’s not even going to lie.</p><p>He’s lankier than he was two years ago and he’s definitely filled out more. His button-down looks great stretched out on his arms and she can’t stop looking at his hands every time he goes to eat a crisp. He has a few too many buttons undone for a school dance but she can’t seem to complain because he just looks <em> so good. </em> He’s wearing his beanie tonight, which she’s noticed is almost always permanently on his head, apart from two years ago. </p><p>She sees Archie go talk to him and she hopes he isn’t talking about her because it’s been about thirty minutes of being here and she has yet to talk to him. She sees them turn their heads to look at her and she turns her head so fast she’s surprised she didn’t get whiplash. She wanders over to the snack table, feeling their eyes on her and she tries to act as natural as possible as she grabs a cup to pour punch into. </p><p>Her hands shake so much that she spills it across the table,</p><p>“Shit.” She mutters before she grabs the pile of napkins and sops up the liquid. She grabs more napkins to wipe her hands but in the process of doing <em> that </em> she drops them on the ground, “Mother f--”</p><p>“You okay?” </p><p>Betty bolts up fast when she hears Jughead’s timid voice and she nods over-enthusiastically before clearing her throat and speaking, “Yeah, yes. I’m great. Just a little clumsy...apparently.” She closes her eyes, sighs and whispers, “So much for a first impression.” </p><p>Jughead chuckles and crouches down to pick up the napkin.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em> .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>holyfuckholyfuckholyfuck</p><p>He is in front of Betty Cooper, crouching on the ground and he can see her legs in all her glory<em> Man, her legs should be fucking trademarked they’re that perfect. <em> He looks up and he can see her looking at him with a blush on her cheeks. He stands and places the napkin on the table before taking a much needed deep breath to calm himself.  </em></em></p><p>He writhes his hands before looking at the dancefloor, “Look I’m not great at this dance stuff so do you just..like wanna...idontknow...sit down and talk? Or something? Totally up to you. You can tell me to leave and I’ll listen.” Jughead finishes with an awkward laugh and Betty looks at him like she’s almost endeared. She nods before <em>grabbing his hand (!!!!</em>) and leading him back to the bleachers he was on previously, only this time they’re higher and off to the side. </p><p>Betty sits them down and she laughs at something she must realise in her head, “I’ve never introduced myself. I know we kind of know each other but I’ve never <em> formally </em> introduced myself.” </p><p>Jughead chuckles and puts his hand out, “Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third at your service.” </p><p>Betty laughs and Jughead feels his heart clench when she looks at him again, still with a smile, and shakes her head in disbelief, “The third? Forsythe?” </p><p>He smiles and shakes his head, “You asked for a <em> formal </em> introduction, so that’s my <em> formal </em>name.” </p><p>“Well do you <em> want </em> me to call you Forsythe?” </p><p>Jughead narrows his eyes and shakes his head, “Jughead will do. Which I guess isn’t any better than Forsythe.” </p><p>“I like it. Well, Jughead, I’m Elizabeth Anne Cooper the first.” Betty says as she bites her lip to hold her laugh.</p><p>“Well, that was very formal. You sound like a princess.” he says, “You even look like one too.” </p><p>
  <em>Smooth Jughead has entered the fucking building. Men, grab your ladies because Jughead’s coming for them. </em>
</p><p>Betty giggles and shifts so she’s closer to him. He can feel the warmth of her bare leg against his leg and he suddenly feels very hot. She smiles bashfully and ducks her head, “You’re sweet. Thank you.”</p><p>He sits with her for minutes and hours talking thousands of nothings that meant millions of somethings, the dance bustling on, completely unaware of the bonds being woven into braids and the creation of a new connection between two unlucky souls. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>She asks him to dance. </p><p>He’s hesitant at first, claiming he “can’t dance” but when he realizes that it’s just an excuse to hold her, he readily jumps onto the idea.</p><p>A slow song comes on and he’s nervous. He tentatively wraps his arms around her waist and she smiles shyly as she wraps her arms around his neck. </p><p>She leans her head against his chest and he sighs as he rests his cheek on her hair. The music plays on and the songs change, but they dance and dance and dance until they can’t anymore. </p><p>They look into each other’s eyes and she gets the feeling that this might be a forever kind of thing.</p><p>When she says she’s tired, they sit back onto the bleachers and she leans her head on his shoulder.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The last song has been played and Betty can see Archie surrounded by a couple of girls. She sighs and shakes her head at him. <em> This always happens. </em> She gets forgotten about and is made to walk home by herself. She looks over at Jughead who is already looking at her. </p><p>“Are you and Jelly going to Pop’s after this?” Betty says, with a blush from his gaze.  </p><p>Jughead shrugs and stands from the bleachers. He puts his hand out and she grabs it like that’s just what they do now. With a little tug from him, she stands up and he waits for her to walk in front of him before they walk down the stairs and onto the floor. Still holding hands, she leads him down to stand by the door. </p><p>“You can come with me. It looks like Archie’s distracted so just walk with me to Pop’s. Jelly can bring her friends.”</p><p>Jughead smiles softly and nods, “Yeah, I’ll come. I’ll have to check with my mom but it should be fine.” </p><p>Betty smiles and bites her lip. Jughead looks at her lips before something catches his eye over her shoulder. Jughead scowls and Betty turns around to see an older man--who looks shockingly like an older version of Jughead--crouching in front of a young girl (she guesses it’s his sister.) </p><p>Betty turns back around and Jughead seems unsettled, “Jug,” He looks back at her and she grabs his face, “Is that your dad?”</p><p>He nods, scowl still etched harshly into his face. He looks down and she smooths her fingers over the harsh lines in his face. Jughead closes his eyes in her touch and Betty smiles softly. </p><p>“Look at me.” Jughead looks at Betty, albeit somewhat softer, and sighs. Betty continues, “Do you need to go over there?” </p><p>Jughead looks pained for a moment before sighing again, “Yeah.” Jughead falls out of her grasp and leans in to kiss her cheek, “Be right back.” He says, with a nervous smile before walking over in the direction of his family. </p><p>Betty turns to look at them and sees Jughead pulling his father out the door, his sister hot on their heels. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He cannot believe his father is going to ruin the first night in months that he’s actually had a good time. Talking to Betty went better than he could’ve ever imagined and he’s pretty sure he’s half-way in love with her. She doesn’t look at him like he’s scum from the Southside, she doesn’t look at him like he’s any class different than she is. She just smiles softly and laughs along to his stupid jokes. She listens to his ramblings about the recent book he stole from the library because he doesn’t have a library card and his family would never give him money to buy the books he wants. </p><p>As he walks with his father, he can’t help but think he wants a new one.</p><p>They stop just outside the side exit, “Dad.” Jughead says eyes dark with anger and a scowl etched deeply into his face, “What are you doing here?”</p><p>His dad turns his head from looking Jellybean and stumbles up to grab Jughead’s shoulders, “Boy,” he grabs his face, “I’was lookin’ for ya everywhere. I’was worried.” He slurs as Jughead shakes his head in disappointment.</p><p>“You knew we were leaving, you <em> saw </em>us leaving. Did you even ask mom?” He says, disspirited, as he steps out of the circle of his father’s arms. </p><p>FP’s eyes avoid Jughead’s eyes as he stumbles up to provide an answer, “Your mom--” FP takes a cut-up breath and his eyes fill with water, “Your mom left.”  </p><p>Jughead looks at his father as if he’s slapped him in the face, wracked with betrayal and disappointment. His eyes fill with tears and he looks over to his sister who is silently sobbing. Jughead puts his hand out and JB grabs his arm before moving to step behind her brother. Jughead sighs deeply to withhold his tears and finally speaks, his voice filled with anguish, “How did she leave?” </p><p>“I-I don’t know. Her clothes were gone, she left a note saying she needs time. She took the car.”</p><p>Jughead looks down as a weak tear slips out of his eye and he sighs without looking at his father, “This is your fault you know.” He looks up, “You did this. You drove her away!” </p><p>JB whimpers into her brother’s arm and Jughead looks down at her before eyeing the man who was supposed to be his father, “You did this to us.” </p><p>Jughead turns away without letting his father speak and walks Jellybean back inside with him. </p><p>And as he walks away, he can’t help but think this once perfect night is now tainted by his father’s foolishness and his mother’s disappearance.  </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>It’s been a little while and just as Betty’s wondering if she should just go home, Jughead and Jellybean come back inside, red-eyed and teary. Betty rushes up to them and eyes Jughead before crouching down to a very teary girl with beautiful blue eyes, “Hi Jellybean,” Betty gives Jelly a soft smile as she brings her head up to look at the blonde in front of her, “I’m Betty. Your brother and I are...friends.”</p><p>Jelly nods her head and Betty continues, “Do you want a hug?” </p><p>The young blue-eyed girl nods her head shyly and Betty envelops her in a hug. Betty looks up at Jughead over his sister’s shoulder and he smiles gratefully, albeit sadly. </p><p>As she pulls out, Jughead rubs his hands together nervously and clears his throat, “So listen, I think we’re gonna head off and go home. We have a couple of things to figure out.”</p><p>Betty nods with a sad smile and she steps closer to him. Jughead turns his head to look down at his sister and pats her back and says, “Why don’t you go outside and wait with your friends?”</p><p>Jelly simply nods and scurries off to find her friends.</p><p>Jughead steps closer to her nervously and grabs her hands from its place on the side of her body. Betty knows something significant happened outside but she doesn’t feel like it’s her business so she bites her lip and smiles, “So tonight was fun. Do you wanna--I don’t know--go out sometime or something?”</p><p>Jughead’s face lights up for the first time since he stepped back inside from talking with his father and she thinks she feels her heart grow ten sizes. </p><p>“Definitely.”</p><p>His face looks beautiful as a blush paints over his features and she has the sudden urge to kiss him hard on the lips. </p><p>So she does.</p><p>She hasn’t done it before but it isn’t bad. She just pecks his lips softly before pulling back. But Jughead’s arms have found their place around her waist and are gently holding her against him. He whispers, <em> isn’t enough </em>before leaning forward to kiss her properly.</p><p>She’s never been properly kissed. She’s never had someone <em> want </em> her before. </p><p>His lips push against hers and she thinks this might be the most perfect first kiss anyone could ever have. The sounds of the forgotten dance fade away just as Jughead’s baggage does too. No dad or mom to think of. Just the sweet, sweet feeling of lips against lips. </p><p>Finally, after kissing for what felt like hours but was maybe really thirty seconds, they pull back and Jughead exhales visibly. </p><p>Betty looks at him as he opens his eyes and her favourite blush creeps up his cheeks once more. </p><p>“I’ve never kissed anyone before,” she whispers, like a hidden secret.</p><p>Jughead chuckles, “I’ve never kissed anyone like <em> that </em> before.” </p><p>Betty smiles, “I-I better let you go.”</p><p>Jughead looks at her like he’s dazed as he says a simple <em> yeah. </em></p><p>They both look at each other as they walk away. </p><p>~</p><p>
  <b>sixteen</b>
</p><p>They’re dating now. Full on, dating. </p><p>They’ve had their ups and downs what with Gladys moving to Ohio and Jughead and Jelly moving in with a foster family after FP got charged with his second DUI. With <em> her </em> parents’ messy divorce and her sister’s accidental teen pregnancy. With her sister’s flee to a cult with her quarterback boyfriend and her two swelling foetuses. </p><p>They’ve fought. He’s tried to protect her from his life, his family, his livelihood. </p><p>They broke up for a couple of weeks. He kissed Toni <em> (for the second time in his life--she came to find out that she was his first kiss,) </em> she kissed Archie <em> (big mistake, definitely as gross as she knew it would be.) </em>But then they came back together like they always do.</p><p>They haven’t had sex yet. </p><p>But they <em> have </em> done other stuff. </p><p>Stuff that would make Alice Cooper very <em> very </em> angry. But she’s almost sixteen and Jughead, <em> who is already sixteen, </em> looks like a <em> man </em> now and she has breasts twice the size of the ones she had two years ago. Her body is curvy and Jughead can’t stop touching her. He keeps talking about how much he loves her legs and how sexy she is to him and she can’t <em> not </em> give in to him.</p><p>She’s in love with him after all.</p><p>That’s another thing they haven’t done. Said <em> I love you.  </em></p><p>She knows he loves her too. But she won’t say it before he does. She knows it’s a bigger thing for him, with his minimal experience of love in his life. They <em> are </em> young, they have time.</p><p>Oh boy, and when Alice found out about Jughead...she did everything in her power to stop it because <em> Jones men are deceiving </em> but with everything that happened and her divorce, she blew over it like the back pages of the newspaper. </p><p>The Valentine’s Day dance is on tonight and she wants to go all the way with him. </p><p>Their sex life has been the most amazing thing she’s ever experienced in her life. Obviously, they’re young and they don’t really know what they’re doing but she loves figuring it out with him. She loves telling him what she wants and she <em> loves </em> hearing what he wants. </p><p>But she thinks for someone she’s been dating for almost two years already, she hasn’t nearly had enough experience as she would like.</p><p>Don’t <em> judge </em>her. She’s horny. </p><p>She’s a teenager. She has a lot of hormones. </p><p>And she really wants to do something about it.</p><p>Tonight. </p><p>As she smooths her hands down her short pink dress that has a deep neckline and falls around the curves of her breasts perfectly. It’s too risque for a <em> school </em> dance of all things so she puts her hands through a white cardigan to conceal some of the more <em> scandalous </em> features of the dress. </p><p>Thinking about tonight is giving her tingles. Thinking about <em> all </em>their nights together gives her tingles.</p><p>Especially the night of his sixteenth birthday. The first <em> real </em> sexual thing they ever did. </p><p>
  <em> ~ </em>
</p><p><em> They wanted to wait until he was sixteen to do anything sexual. At this point, they had made out, </em> a lot. <em> They would lie down on her bed and he would hover on top of her, pressing his arousal through his jeans into the softness between her legs, dry humping as they tangled tongues over and over again. She had come once, accidentally, and it had been the most amazing feeling she’s ever felt physically.  </em></p><p>
  <em> But it’s his sixteenth birthday and she wants him to make her come again. But with his fingers down the front of her panties. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She’s still fifteen and will still be fifteen until May but she feels like she’s ready.  </em>
</p><p><em> Her mom isn’t home tonight, </em> thank God, <em> so they, luckily for her, have the house to themselves.  </em></p><p>
  <em> So after spending the day together and him going back to his house to have dinner with his foster family, he comes over to her house and kisses her pressed against the door. He whispers, “Hi baby,” and then proceeds to kiss her even harder.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Betty had planned to have them watch a movie but at this point, he’s making her horny and she needs a release.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> So she pulls back, grabs his hand and all but drags him up to her bedroom. He follows her up the stairs and she pulls him down the hallway and into her bedroom.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Woah, woah, woah what’s the rush?” He pants as she shoves him onto the bed and climbs on top of him.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She sits upon him, straddling his body and moving gently, feeling his body stir like she knows and loves, “I want you to make me come Jughead. With your hands. Properly.”  </em>
</p><p><em> Jughead whispers, “Fuck, yes,” before pulling her against him and flipping them over so he hovers on top of him, “Let me show you </em> all <em> of the research I’ve been doing. Just. For. You.” </em></p><p>
  <em> Betty moans as his hand snakes it’s way down her body and into the front of her panties, cupping her heat softly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I wanna make you feel good.”  </em>
</p><p><em> Betty nods and moans as she feels his hand open her slit gently. He rubs her bundle of nerves softly and she moans </em> yes <em> loudly before he begins sucking on her neck.  </em></p><p>
  <em> “You’re so beautiful. I’m so lucky,” he says as he slowly slides a finger inside of her.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Betty hisses slightly at the pinch before arching her back against the bed and moving against his pumping finger inside of her. He groans into her neck as she rides his hand.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> He rubs her clit with his thumb in a figure of eight and then she’s gone. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Stars explode behind her eyelids and she moans loudly as she comes on his finger for the first time ever.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jughead’s back lands next to her and she peeks one eye open to see his pants tented. She bites her lip at the wicked idea that pops into her brain.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Babe, can I get off?” Jughead says, darkly, his voice laced with arousal. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I have a better idea, let me do for you,” Betty says as she turns her body to him and begins to slide her hand down his abdomen. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Fuck, okay. We haven’t done that before either.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “I know. But I want to.” Betty says as she unbuttons his pants and brings her hand up to her mouth to lick a strip up her palm, “I’ve been doing research too.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “Look at us.” he chuckles darkly, as he watches her lick her hand.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She bites her lip at him before saying, “Take your pants and boxers off, I want to see you.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jughead obeys and his dick pops out as he kicks his pants off. Betty swallows at his size and automatically wraps her hand around him. He groans and throws his head back against her pillow as she begins to move her hand up and down his shaft. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She nips his earlobe as her thumb swipes the precum from his tip and she begins to quicken her pace, feeling him flying closer and closer to the edge with each stroke.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> She continues to jerk him off and his breathing gets quicker and quicker before he’s shouting her name and shooting hot streaks of cum down her hand.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Instead of wiping her hand straight away, she brings her hand up to her mouth and licks her finger. Jughead’s eyes bulge out of his and he raises an eyebrow, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You’re kinky.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> Betty chuckles and settles her head down in the crook of his neck, “Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet Jughead Jones. I’m so excited to have sex with you. When the time comes. But right now, I’m tired and you just made me come so good.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Jughead smirks smugly and wraps his arm around her, “Hell yeah, I did.” </em>
</p><p>~</p><p>So tonight’s the night she’s decided, she’s <em> ready.  </em></p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He’s anxious. </p><p>Something doesn’t feel quite right when he goes home after school. His foster family is sitting around the lounge room table with Jellybean in tow. Jughead walks over to them hesitantly before dropping his bag. </p><p>“W-what’s going on guys?” </p><p>His foster mother, a kind lady named Jane, turns her head to look at him and gestures for him to sit down. Jughead eyes his sister for a moment only to see her face as confused as his.</p><p>“Yeah, Mrs Jenkins, what’s going on?” Jellybean says as she scooches over to sit right next to her brother.  </p><p>Jane and her husband, their foster father Tom, look at each other for a moment before Tom sighs, “Your father is getting out today.” </p><p>Jughead exhales sharply as Jellybean whispers a quiet <em> what? </em>into the air. </p><p>Jughead shakes his head and chuckles darkly, “No, no.” Jughead looks down in shock and then looks back up at Jane, “W-What does that mean?” </p><p>Jane sighs, “Well, honey, because of our...arrangement and who your father is--” she looks down and fiddles with the edge of her blouse before looking up at him again with glassier eyes, “--you are instructed to go home.” </p><p>Before Jughead could interrupt, Jane speaks again, “And I know it doesn’t make any sense,” she turns to look at her husband, “we’ve never dealt with foster children like this before but, we have to listen to the higher-ups.” </p><p>Jellybean speaks quietly, with tears rolling down her face, “Right, but how could this happen? He shouldn’t be getting out yet.”</p><p>Tom looks at his wife before looking back at Jellybean with a soft look, “Well, we think your father has some pull somewhere and that he maybe used his power to get you guys back. The reason why your father is leaving so early is because of overcrowding. They reviewed his case, gave him some conditions and sent him on his way.” </p><p>Jughead rests his elbows on his knees and presses the palms of his hands to his eyes. He chuckles wetly in realisation, “I have a stupid dance tonight that I was supposed to go to with my girlfriend.” He shakes his head and looks up, “That just seems stupid now.”</p><p>Jane looks at him sadly, “We’re not finished.” </p><p>Jelly and Jughead look at her tiredly and she continues, “Your mother has requested you come and live with her in Toledo. That’s where she is with your grandparents.” She looks at Tom, “It’s not really a request actually. Because you guys are under eighteen, you <em> have </em>to go.”</p><p>Tom nods faintly before speaking, “Unless you want to go with your father.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p><em> What a stupid ultimatum, </em>Jughead thinks as he slams a t-shirt into his black duffle bag. </p><p>It’s like asking who your favourite parent is except both of them suck. Gladys, slightly less, but she <em> did </em> leave Jughead with gaping holes of abandonment issues and the Jones kids motherless while their father was off partying and drinking until his ugly heart was content. </p><p>If they choose to go with their mother, they have to leave, <em> tonight </em> Jane said as they got up when the discussion ended. Jughead had looked around and realised he probably wouldn’t be staying here again. Tom and Jane’s lovely little cottage on the border of the Northside already seeming like a distant memory. </p><p>Jughead gathers his clothes and dumps them into his bag along with his very small collection of sentimental items including his photos with Betty. </p><p><em>Betty. God. </em>Another thing to think about. Her face lights up in his mind as he thinks about her excitement for tonight’s dance.</p><p>He won’t be able to go if he went with either his mother or his father anyway.</p><p>His mother, although she <em> did </em> leave him, was always there for him. She would always make sure Jelly was cared for when he wasn’t home, whereas that was something his father lacked in. Reliability to look after his kid sister. Gladys would always find enough food to cater to both of them even when they were drowning in bills and could barely effort anything, whereas FP would blow all their money on alcohol at the Wyrm instead of real food. </p><p>As he shuts the door to the first real bedroom he’s ever had, he thinks he made his decision long before he even got off the couch. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>After saying his goodbyes to the Jenkins, he walks outside and spots his sister standing next to the mailbox with her head down. As Jughead walks up behind her, she looks up and turns around and he melts at the sight of her tear-stained face and red puffy eyes. </p><p>“Oh, Beanie,” Jughead mumbles sadly as he pulls her in for a hug.</p><p>“I loved them. I know they weren’t mom and dad but they were the parents we were supposed to have.”</p><p>Jughead places a kiss on the top of her head, his height making him tower over her. His eyes get misty and he has to blink away the tears as he speaks into her hair, “I know.”</p><p>“What are we supposed to do?” Jellybean says as they pull out.</p><p>Jughead sighs and grabs her hand, “You know what we have to do.”</p><p>Jellybean’s bottom lip quivers and she furrows her eyebrows, “But I don’t want to leave.” </p><p>Jughead finally lets the tears fall, “You think I want to Jellybean. These are the cards we’ve been given. I don’t want to leave the only person who’s ever stuck by me. The person I want to be with. I don’t want to leave my best friends.” Jughead lets go of the ten-year-old’s hands and wipes his eyes with the side of his wrists. “But this is what we’ve got to do.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>His hand tightens on Jelly’s as they arrive at the Cooper house. He thinks he can see his beautiful girl up in her bedroom and he just wants to run to her. To kiss her everywhere and tell her how much he loves her. He’s been dying to tell her. But he can’t. Because he knew the world was one big powder keg and that someday, somewhere, someone was going to light a match and they were all going to blow.</p><p>He tells Jelly to wait at the end of the walkway with his bag and he walks up to the big, daunting, red door. With a soft pat, he knocks on the door and after a few moments, Mrs Cooper answers. </p><p>She runs her eyes down his body and looks back up at him in question, “Jughead, shouldn’t you be getting ready?”</p><p>Alice looks back at Jellybean, looks at their bags and then looks back at Jughead knowingly. She looks at Jughead red eyes and tilts her head, “Oh Jughead. Oh, boy.” </p><p>Jughead’s eyes glaze with tears as he takes in the reality of what’s happening. He looks up at his girlfriend’s mom and a tear runs down his face. Alice Cooper, the woman who has never liked him, opens her arms for him and he chuckles before wrapping her up in a hug.</p><p>Alice whispers into his ear, “I’m so sorry. I heard a rumor your dad got out but I just thought it was that of a rumor. I’m guessing you’re going to be with your mom.”</p><p>Still not letting go, Jughead nods on Alice’s shoulder as he continues to cry. </p><p>“Jughead?” He hears softly and looks up to see his beautiful, goddess of a girlfriend walking down the stairs in her beautiful dress. He pulls back from embracing Alice and Betty walks up to the door before looking at him up and down before settling on his tear-stained face.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Juggie? Why aren’t you dressed for the dance?” She says softly.</p><p>Alice steps back and Betty stands in the spot at the door her mother just vacated. </p><p>Jughead looks at the girl he loves and smiles sadly, “You look beautiful baby.” </p><p>Betty smiles sadly and grabs his hands, “Why aren’t you dressed?” She repeats. </p><p>Jughead sighs, “Because I’m not going.”</p><p>“What?” Betty says, confused, “What do you mean?” </p><p>Jughead looks at Betty’s green eyes, accentuated beautifully with her light dusting of makeup and little flakes of glittery eyeshadow on her cheeks from where it’s come off her eyes, and sighs, “My dad got out of jail and I can’t stay with my foster family anymore so…” </p><p>Betty tilts her head, “So…”</p><p>Jughead bites his lip, “I have to go live with my mom in Toledo.” </p><p>His girlfriend just stares at him for a moment before shaking her head and furrowing her eyebrows, “No. No. No. No Juggie. No. You’re supposed go put on your suit and come with me. And then come home with me. And be with me fully.” Jughead’s eyes widen and she continues, albeit quieter, “I was going to give all of me to you and you were gonna stay over and wake up with me. No, you’re not supposed to go to Toledo, you’re supposed to stay here with me.” </p><p>“Baby…” Jughead moans as he grabs her hips and leans forward to kiss her. Betty wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds onto him tightly as they kiss. </p><p>Jughead tries to pull back but Betty pulls him in again. He can feel the desperation dripping off her. </p><p>When Jughead attempts to pull out again, she lets him and he can see in her eyes that she realises this is goodbye. Her hands begin to shake as she puts her hand on his face. He steps back and turns around and she follows him out the door, “Jughead, can’t we work something else out? Maybe you and Jelly can stay here? We have free rooms.” </p><p>Jughead shakes his head, his throat too clogged to speak. </p><p>Tears are streaming down her face now and he doesn’t think he’s ever felt true pain until this day. Until the day he has step away from the one thing he loves. She stops walking and her lower lip quivers, “But you can’t leave me. I love you.”</p><p>Jughead stops walking. </p><p>He’s never heard those words said to him with such assurance. With such confidence. With it not sounding like a chore. He turns around slowly and looks at her.</p><p>
  <em> I love you I love you I love you I love you I love y-- </em>
</p><p>“I know you do.” He ends up saying, “Our story’s not over yet Betty. We’re in this for the long haul.”</p><p>Betty nods and before Jughead backs out, he turns around and walks away, picking his bag up on the way. Jellybean waves as they walk away but Jughead can’t even stand looking at that pesky door, because he knows if he will, he will really break down.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Numb. </p><p>That’s how she feels. Complete and utter numbness. </p><p>When Jughead is nothing but a speck in the distance, Betty steps through her front door, closes it and hits her back against it as she cries out loudly. Her mother rushes to her and wraps her up in her arms. Betty slides down to the ground and drags her mother down with her. </p><p>“It hurts mom. It hurts so bad,” Betty cries,</p><p>“What does, lovey?” </p><p>
  <em> Her heart. </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>tbc</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. eighteen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Veronica surprises Betty with her love. But not all can go back to the way it was before, it seems.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>whoops, i slipped and fell and wrote more angst. this chapter does come with some smut though so, to all you horny gals and guys, *pounds chest enthusiastically* I gotchu. already started on chapter 3 but idk when it's gonna come, hopefully sooner than the last chapter cause we do be in quarantine now so i have some time to write, but i also still have education and everything online so technically i don't have time but like easter break is about to commence so then I'll get a break then *inhales deeply* </p><p>anyways, i hope u like this chapter as much as i do. </p><p>BRING ON THE ANGST</p><p>hey also, THIS IS UNBETAED! any and all mistakes are mine :) if you are a beta, hmu on my Tumblr @mrscolesprouse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>eighteen</b>
</p><p>
  <em> Betty </em>
</p><p>She’s a senior. She’s eighteen-years-old. And today is her Senior Prom. </p><p>They haven’t talked in two months. She hasn’t seen him in the flesh since Christmas of the same year he left. They tried. They tried so damn hard to talk all they could, to keep their connection alive but it was too hard. Too painful. She’d end every call and cry afterwards. She’d drive herself mad thinking about how his chuckle would feel against her stomach or how his mouth felt when he would cherish her. In the end, it was too much for him too.</p><p>They haven’t <em> broken up </em>officially but her heart cracks at the thought that it’s going to happen soon. And they’re so close to the finish line too. </p><p>But she can feel it coming.</p><p>She didn’t want to go to her Senior Prom--she hasn’t gone to <em> any </em> of the school dances since Jughead left--but her best friend Veronica, a new girl that came at the start of Junior Year, had practically begged her. She’d told Betty that she could go with her and Archie and that even though Veronica and Archie were dating, Betty would always be her number one and never let her be the third wheel. </p><p>Betty had agreed, hesitantly and Veronica had jumped for joy.</p><p>But now, as she stands there in her long pink gown, with its bejewelled v-neckline and her hair pinned up into a low bun, she realises why she didn’t want to go in the first place.</p><p>Jughead should be here with her. He should be here, caressing her waist and whispering in her ear all the dirty things he wants to do to her. He should be wearing a suit with a matching tie and he should be tying a corsage to her wrist. </p><p>She knows it’s been more than two years since he left. She knows she should’ve slowly let go. But she can’t. </p><p>
  <em> He’s it. </em>
</p><p>And no matter how many times Veronica suggests she get back on that metaphorical horse, she can’t. Because it’s not fair to them either. </p><p>Her heart is already taken. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“Oh, Elizabeth.” Her mother says as she walks down the stairs, “You look beautiful.”</p><p>Betty’s relationship with her mother has gotten a lot stronger these past few years. Her mother had held her several nights when Betty had cried at the loss of her boyfriend. With Polly at The Farm and her father gone to live in California with his new girlfriend, it was only her in the house with her mother. Her mother had loosened her reigns on trying to make Betty the “perfect daughter” and although Betty had struggled after Jughead’s departure, Betty was now topping all of her classes. She didn’t need to prove anything and she didn’t need to be perfect, and Alice realised that her daughter was already a woman.</p><p>Betty smiles softly and hugs her mother. She pulls back and touches her bicep nervously, “Thank you. I can’t wait to get out of it though.” </p><p>Alice touches her chin and nods, “I know this is hard for you baby but I have a good feeling about tonight. You’re gonna forget everything and just have fun.”</p><p>Betty exhales and nods right as the door bangs open at the arrival of her two best friends. </p><p>Veronica comes inside in a black gown littered with big red roses and a small overlay with the same pattern looking beautiful as always with her wavey black hair, “Oh. My. God. B. You look so hot.” She says, coming and crushing her in a hug so hard, it knocks the breath out of her. “So much better than my date.”</p><p>“Hey!” Archie says in his navy suit, with a vest and a navy bowtie. His shirt is grey and he looks incredibly classy. Probably because his girlfriend dressed him. </p><p>“Oh hush! You look amazing my love, but Betty here looks divine.”</p><p>Betty smiles at their bickering and exhales, “Okay, so photos?”</p><p>Veronica smiles coyly, “Just one more thing Bee. Come outside?” She says as she lets her hand out for Betty to take. Betty tilts her head in confusion but Veronica just leads her outside.</p><p>And there, at the end of the pathway, is Jughead Jones. </p><p>
  <em> Jughead. Jones. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Forsythe Pendleton Jones the third.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The love of her young life.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> The boy--man--she hasn’t seen in one and a half years.  </em>
</p><p>“Oh my god,” Betty whispers before she takes off running towards him. </p><p>She crashes into him in a bone-crushing hug and wraps her arms tightly around. It feels like a relief like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. </p><p>“I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming. This is the best dream I’ve ever had.” Betty mutters into his <em> hard </em> chest, “This better be you and not some weird robot version of you who smells exactly the same but is taller and broader and manlier.”</p><p>Jughead chuckles and she leans back quickly in shock, “Your voice. It didn’t sound this low two months ago. Holy shit.” </p><p>“Hi baby,” he says, the dark timbre of his voice sending tingles down her spine and into her heat. </p><p>Betty bursts into tears.</p><p>“No, no, no, Betty, don’t cry, you don’t want to ruin your makeup.” He says quickly</p><p>“I don’t care. Holy shit. You look like a man. You’re not a scrawny little teen who was too lanky for your own good anymore.” Betty says, in awe, tears still streaming down her face.</p><p>“And you, Betty Cooper, are the most beautiful <em> woman </em> I have ever seen in my life,” Jughead says, scaling her body with his eyes. </p><p>Betty hiccups and looks at his face, free of the hormonal acne he had at the beginning of puberty, “Oh. Oh, I missed you so much.” </p><p>Betty puts her hands on his face and leans up to kiss him hard on the lips, not a care in the world that her two best friends and probably her mother were watching them. Jughead groans into her mouth and his hands land on her waist, pulling her against him so no space separates them. They kiss and kiss and kiss and kiss until their mouths hurt. </p><p>Betty pulls back after a while and is slightly smug when she sees his lips red and rosy from their little makeout sesh. </p><p>“What are you doing here?” She finally asks.</p><p>“I’m coming to prom with you.”</p><p>Only then does she realise he’s wearing a sleek navy suit with a navy shirt and a--pink pocket square the exact same shade as her dress.</p><p>Betty whips her head around to look at her best friend, “Did you do this?” </p><p>Veronica smiles softly and walks down to them, linking her elbow with Betty’s, “I had to meet the famous Jughead.” </p><p>“Veronica--”</p><p>“Betty. You have been nothing short of a sister since I’ve been here and you might think I don’t, but I see when you get that vacant look in your eye. When you think about him, I see it. And all I wanted was to have you feel that love again. I’m sorry I told you to go on dates with other people when what I should have been doing is telling you to go get your man. So, I brought him here.” </p><p>Betty puffs out a breath of happiness and hugs her best friend, “I love you, Vee.”</p><p>“I love you, Bee.” </p><p>Jughead taps her shoulder, “Sorry to interrupt but I think we should take some pictures and get going or else we’re going to be late.”</p><p>Betty turns back to Jughead and tilts her head, “Since when do you care if we’re on time or not?”</p><p>“Since I want to show everyone that you are <em> my </em> date.” </p><p>Betty bites her lip and smiles but turns back to Veronica, “Can you help me fix my makeup quickly before we take photos?”</p><p>Veronica nods and they rush off to go back inside the house.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He was back. He’d held her. He’d kissed her.</p><p>All was right. </p><p>When he’d gotten a text from the unknown number, <em>(</em><b><em>?: You’re coming to Riverdale for Prom.</em></b><em>)</em> he was wary at first. </p><p>When he arrived in Toledo, he quickly realised that, although it was hard to leave Riverdale, they had made the right decision to leave. He had a real house, with a real bedroom and real lights that didn’t go out every two minutes. He had real food and sat at a real table. </p><p>Granted, his grandparents practically spit on him with hatred because he’s “the carbon copy of the bastard who destroyed our baby’s life” but he just shuts them out and goes to his room. He has his mom who hasn’t stopped being the loving mom she always was despite the fact that she left them. His school isn’t filled with drug dealers and metal detectors. It serves real food and has real teachers. </p><p>
  <em> He likes it here.  </em>
</p><p>But it’s also void of his three best friends. There was no Archie here. There was no Betty here.</p><p>That’s what hurts the most he thinks. Not being able to hold her, to touch her. That’s what drifted them apart. He’d see the pain in her eyes anytime they FaceTimed. He’d see how sad she’d get and how she’d put on a mask of ‘no, everything’s okay!’ He’d see it and it would break him down to his core that <em> he </em> was the one to inflict it. </p><p>Her speech would wobble and he’d hear the cracks in her voice and he couldn’t take the pain anymore. </p><p>So, he’d pushed her away slightly. He’d made stupid excuses as to why he couldn’t answer the phone. </p><p>They hadn’t texted for a few weeks. He hadn’t heard her voice in two months. He hadn’t touched her in one and a half years.</p><p>So although he was hesitant, he answered the text and they started their plan to surprise Betty. He would find out that it was Veronica Lodge, Betty’s new best friend, who had messaged him and they began to plan. </p><p>They’d organised when he’d arrive, where he’d stay and what he’d wear. Jughead didn’t want to accept all this from someone he barely knew, but he texted Archie and he made sure that Veronica wasn’t being troubled in any way by doing this for him. </p><p>Archie was stoked he was coming back and had all but tackled him when Jughead reached The Five Seasons in the morning. </p><p>When he climbed off his motorcycle, <em> after </em>Archie tackled him, Veronica had introduced herself and then all but pulled him up the stairs and into the room she’d booked for him. She then proceeded to sit down and have a very long chat about all that’s wrong with him.</p><p>
  <em> It’s been a rollercoaster of a day. </em>
</p><p>After <em> that, </em> she’d apologised and explained to him all the times' Betty had come to her to bawl her eyes out because she missed him. Jughead’s heart had stopped at that. He’d known what he was doing was hurting her but <em> hearing </em> it made him feel like a piece of shit. </p><p>He had then said that maybe he shouldn’t be here but Veronica said insisted that,</p><p>
  <em> “This is what Betty would want.” </em>
</p><p>So he nodded, hesitantly, and they went on with it.</p><p>Veronica had handed him his suit and left the room, and he’d tugged-on his slacks, buttoned his shirt up halfway--he refused to wear a tie--and slipped into his jacket completing his navy ensemble. Veronica had come back into the suite only to give him a pearl pink coloured material to tuck into his breast pocket and then she had left again. </p><p>Archie, having left after saying hello, had come back inside, this time wearing his three-piece tux and bowtie, and had snatched the beanie off his head. </p><p>Jughead didn’t comment. He knew how much Betty loved his hair. </p><p>Jughead sat with Archie for an hour waiting for Veronica to come back and when she did, she was adorning a dark gown, with her dark hair curled and her eyes glittered with dark makeup. He saw Archie’s eyes dilate and smirked. Sure, Veronica was beautiful, but in his eyes, no one can beat the blonde he’s loved since he was young. </p><p>They’d loaded into a limo and set off to pick up Betty. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He knew the exact point she saw him. Her face lit up in recognition and before he could speak, she was on him. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him and it’s the exact moment all breath returned to his body as if he’d be silently suffocated until now.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>As Betty rushes inside, Jughead puts his hands in his pockets and rocks on the heels of his feet. Archie looks at him and raises an eyebrow before walking down to him and grabbing onto his arm to pull him into the house with the red door. </p><p>He gets a slight flashback of that fateful day two years ago but it’s wiped away at the sight of Alice Cooper with her arms crossed and her perfectly plucked eyebrows risen slightly. As he steps inside, she clears her throat and looks at him expectantly. </p><p>Alice’s face relaxes and she drops her arms before walking up to him and opening her arms to embrace him softly. Jughead freezes slightly before hugging her back, somewhat hesitantly. He eyes a smirking Archie over her shoulder and Jughead sticks his middle finger up at him before pulling out of the hug. </p><p>“I’m glad you’re back.” She whispers, almost as if she’s told a secret. </p><p>Jughead rubs his hands up and down his biceps, curling into himself slightly and shrugs, “I’m glad I’m back but it’s not permanent, unfortunately. Still have a few weeks left of school to finish and then we’ll see what happens.”</p><p>Alice nods thoughtfully and Jughead smiles slightly before he sees Betty rush down the stairs.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>She rushes up the stairs, dragging Veronica with her and running down the hall and into her room before sitting down on her vanity chair. </p><p>She’s feeling so many things. At first, she was elated that he was here but now, as the realisation of his return sets into her chest, it’s weighing heavy. Seeing his beautiful face, kissing his pouty lips, seeing his little dimpled smirk revitalised the love she has for him in her heart. But as soon as she hit the stairs and couldn’t see him anymore, the panicking began. </p><p>He had shattered her heart, after all. </p><p>He had left, he had distanced himself, first physically and then, slowly, emotionally. He had purposely not answered her calls when she needed him. He had purposely left her messages unread. </p><p>So as she sits and gets her undereye concealer retouched, she can’t help but feel like a light has switched off instead of on.</p><p>And she can’t help but feel that not everything will go back to the way it was before. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“Okay, <em> mi corazon, </em>I feel like something’s wrong,” Veronica says as she lightly taps on some setting powder on Betty’s face and looks at her with a soft look.</p><p>“Everything is great Vee,” Betty says with a forced smile. She continues forcefully, “Jug’s here and...everything is great.” </p><p>Veronica sighs and places the makeup on the desk before looking at her best friend again, “Why am I not convinced? I mean, did I do something wrong bringing him here?” </p><p>Betty sighs and picks up the setting spray before spraying her face and standing up to look at her friend once more, “No, I love you for this V. And I...care very much for Jughead. But things have changed since he left and I can’t go back to acting like everything is back to the way it was before. Kissing him down there was a mistake. I’m only going to get attached to him again. Yeah, he’s back for tonight but then he’ll leave again. I can’t do that to myself.”</p><p>Veronica looks at her knowingly and grabs Betty’s hands, “Love, I know it’s hard but I also know that I’ve never seen you love something or someone as much as him—no matter what you call it, you love him. You can’t walk away from that once-in-a-lifetime kind of love that you and Jughead have. I’m sure he’s beating himself up inside but, pushing you away was just his way of saving himself heartache. He did what he thought was best even though it was a shitty thing.”</p><p>Betty shakes her head, “So, what, you’re standing up for him breaking my heart?”</p><p>“No, babe, I saw first hand what distancing himself did to you and I will never forgive him for that, but I-I understand where he’s coming from. Long-distance is so hard and sometimes you don’t think straight when you just want to get rid of the ache in your heart. I-I dated this girl in New York, Cindy her name was,” Veronica looks down fondly albeit sadly before continuing, “And she moved away—before I moved here. She was my first real relationship and when she left, it broke me. I just wanted the heartache to stop, so even though we tried to make it work, I couldn’t put myself through it anymore and I retaliated by breaking up with her and having sex with one of the guys on the football team. It was stupid but I just didn’t want to feel like a part of me was missing. I know our situations are different and what <em> I </em> did was unforgivable, but I’m just saying, maybe just spend this time with him while you have him. He didn’t want to purposely break your heart as I did with Cindy. He just wanted to spare the heartache a little.”</p><p>Betty stares at her best friend and nods sadly before opening her arms to hug Veronica. Veronica accepts the hug with a smile and Betty squeezes her tightly, “I’m sorry that happened to you.” </p><p>Veronica pulls out and shrugs, “Eh, it’s okay. I’ve got Archie now and last I heard she’s dating some new girl so I’m good.” </p><p>Betty smiles, grabs Veronica’s hand and walks them out the door and down into the belly of the beast.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The moment she steps off the stairs, he grabs her hand and they walk out the door. His hand feels heavy in hers and she looks up at his smile and her heart pounds. They take some time to take some photos and then they’re into the limo and en route to Riverdale High.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He’d noticed the light gone from her eyes. When she’d stepped downstairs, it had been different from when she’d last looked at him. As they entered the limo, he’d sat close to her, only for her to move slightly away from him. </p><p>Archie and Veronica are sipping on chutes of champagne and finally caught up in their own bubble so he turns to face her. Jughead rubs the back of his neck nervously and she looks up at him.</p><p>“Betts, are you okay?” </p><p>Betty chuckles mirthlessly and looks down. She fiddles with the material of her skirt as she speaks, “Nothing gets by you, does it?”</p><p>Jughead furrows his brows, “Not if it involves you. Tell me what’s going on.”</p><p>Betty looks up at him and bites her lip, “I just--you stopped talking to me. You kept blowing me off. I-I know long distance is hard on you but it’s hard on me too and you ignoring me, was frankly, a little selfish. You could’ve just broken up with m--”</p><p>“Hey, no I couldn't.” Jughead says, interrupting her quietly, “You’re everything to me, Betty. It would have broken me to break up with you for real.”</p><p>Betty’s eyes turn glassy as she looks back down at her lap, “Before you left, I told you I loved you. You--”</p><p>“This isn’t the place to talk about this now Betty.” He says, cutting her off somewhat harshly. </p><p>It’s silent in the car now. Veronica and Archie have stopped talking but are avoiding eye contact as if they aren’t listening to what Jughead and Betty are saying. </p><p>Jughead sighs and shakes his head, “I’m sorry. That was harsh. It’s just, this is supposed to be happy but I feel like I’m ruining it for you by being here so…”</p><p>Betty sighs, “Jug, so much has changed but how much I care for you hasn’t. I’m so glad you’re here, you have no idea. This is just so much to take in. I mean, you moved away two years ago. We’re different people now.”</p><p>“Betty--”</p><p>“Well! We’re here!” Veronica exclaims, awkwardly. Archie opens the limo door and jumps out before offering his arm to Veronica and muttering, <em> “My lady.” </em> Veronica giggles and jumps out, leaving Betty and Jughead sitting uncomfortably. </p><p>Jughead sighs and rotates his body so he’s facing her completely and Betty follows suit. He hesitantly rests his hands on her face and she closes her eyes at his touch before opening them again and looking into his eyes.</p><p>“Baby…” </p><p>Betty’s eyes visibly dilate and she bites her lip before making a soft <em> mhm </em>sound. </p><p>Jughead continues, “Just for tonight, let’s pretend that everything’s okay. That I never left. And that you still love me…”</p><p>Betty tilts her head and furrows her brows sadly, “Jug I—“</p><p>Jughead leans forward and closes his eyes as his forehead rests against hers, “Shhh…”</p><p>“But Jug…”</p><p>But Jughead doesn’t let her finish as he envelops her lips into a hard kiss. Betty immediately kisses back and moans into his mouth as his hand finds purchase on her waist. </p><p>He pulls out and speaks against her lips, “For me? Please?”</p><p>Betty looks at him softly before nodding and leaning back in to kiss him. Jughead accepts her lips readily and groans into her mouth and for a few seconds, it’s as if nothing has changed.</p><p>The moment is interrupted by the short knocks on the divider between the driver’s seat and the main body of the limo. Betty and Jughead break apart and they hear the little old-style telephone beside them ring and they look at each other for a moment before Jughead turns and answers with a hesitant, <em> “Hello?”  </em></p><p>It turns out to be Smithers in the front seat and he says that they have to get out of the car so he can leave so Jughead puts the phone down, grabs Betty’s hand and pulls her out of the car gently. </p><p>He looks at her softly and she smiles, tightly but less strained than before, and he smirks before offering her his elbow to grab. She giggles and shakes her head before hooking her arm around his. </p><p>Smither’s car drives off behind them as they begin to walk up the stairs of the school and he leads Betty up the stairs so she doesn’t fall and she looks at him gratefully.</p><p>As they walk through the doors and into the hall, Jughead makes a low whistle and looks at Betty to see her looking at him with a question in her eyes. Jughead tilts his and speaks, “They really went all out for this huh?”</p><p>Betty relaxes her face and nods, “Yeah, I was on the prom committee this year. It’s a pretty big deal.” </p><p>Jughead nods and he looks back up at the hall. There are lights dangling like chandeliers from the ceiling, blue and gold pieces of material drooping along the walls, the dance floor glitters with blue lights and is surrounded by beautiful balloon arrangements. The tables are scattered across the rest of the hall and everything is so well done that he looks back down at her and pecks her cheek.</p><p>“This is amazing. I should’ve known it was you. Everything you do is amazing.” </p><p>Betty looks up at him softly and shrugs, “I tried.” </p><p>Jughead smirks and looks back towards the dance in search of Archie and Veronica only to see a head of pink and purple hair. He squints his eyes but he <em> knows. </em> It’s Toni. <em> It’s Toni. </em>Next to Toni stands a ridiculously tall guy with black hair that Jughead immediately recognises as Sweet Pea and if he’s here, then Fangs has got to be around here somewhere. </p><p>He looks down at Betty, “Hey, do you mind if we go over there for a sec?”</p><p>She looks towards where he’s indicating and she nods with a smile on her face. As they walk, Betty explains, “Southside High closed down last year and most of the students transferred here. Apparently there was a meth lab in the basement but I later found out that one of the teachers was selling drugs to students.” </p><p>Jughead stops shortly and looks at her, “Woah really? Who?”</p><p>“Robert Phillips.” </p><p>Jughead’s eyes widen, “No way...Mr Phillips was my English teacher. He was the only teacher that taught me anything.” </p><p>Betty nods, “Yep. He went to jail but he ended up getting mixed up in a riot and died.”</p><p>Jughead exhales and shakes his head and they keep walking towards them. Before they can even stop, though, Toni turns, as if knowing someone was looking at her, and her eyes widen as she takes in Jughead.</p><p>“No fucking way!!”</p><p>Jughead’s face splits out in an ear-to-ear grin as Toni runs towards him and envelops him in a big hug, all but lifting him from his place on the ground. Jughead chuckles and Toni lets go of him before smacking his arm,</p><p>“Why, didn’t, you, tell, me, you, were, here?” She says, slapping him on the emphasis of every word. </p><p>Jughead looks down at a smiling Betty and looks back at Toni with a shrug, “I kept it under wraps.” </p><p>Toni then proceeds to talk their ears off for a good ten minutes before bringing him over to talk to Sweet Pea and Fangs who were equally as excited to see him. They talk for a little while, Betty lingering next him for a bit before excusing herself politely to go mingle with her cohort. </p><p>He still feels like he’s on a bit of thin ice with Betty and he thinks abandoning her before the dance has really even started will not make a good impression on her. So Jughead waits until the conversation has a break before also excusing himself to go find his date.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Later--when Jughead has returned from talking to his friends--Betty sighs as he looks at his face, animated and happy, talking to Kevin. </p><p>She thought she knew the extent of having Jughead away from her physically, she thought she knew how hard it was to be away from him but now when he’s here and two feet away from her, his arm casually resting around the back of her chair, she gets it. She gets why her immediate reaction was to run into his arms and <em> feel </em>him. His arms, his chest, his face. To kiss his lips and hug his body. Her body craved to be back into the place it belongs; in his arms. </p><p>But her heart, well it aches. Her chest is tight in heartbreak and it lingers as he offers his arm in a dance, as his hands, his big, beautiful hands that have given her many a pleasure, find their place on her waist. It lingers as she laughs at his attempt of dancing even though, after years of dances, he still has two left feet. </p><p>It lingers as his forehead rests against hers and as she closes her eyes to savour the moment. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The song comes to a close, as all songs do, and she opens her eyes to see him already looking at her. His eyes sparkle with a dark lust and her pupils dilate at the thought of what his hands, his mouth, used to do to her. </p><p>When he opens his mouth to talk, his voice is noticeably hoarse, “It’s getting kind of late.”  </p><p>Betty nods but makes no move to leave. Jughead continues, “I’m only here for one night.” <em> And I want to spend it all with you, </em>he seems to say. </p><p>She knows what he’s trying to do. She knows he has a hotel room. She <em> knows </em> what he wants to do to her. So she whispers, “Okay.”</p><p>They don’t hesitate as they walk back to the table and grab their stuff or when they quietly leave the school without saying goodbye. She doesn’t hesitate when she brings her phone out to order a Lyft to the Five Seasons. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He hasn’t touched anyone since her, and he knows she hasn’t been touched since him either. His fingers ache at the thought of what they could do to her as they drive away from the school and towards the hotel. </p><p>He turns to look at her and he sees her biting her lip and staring at the back of her chair contemplatively. </p><p>“Hey,” he says softly to get her attention. </p><p>She turns her head and hums. Jughead reaches his hand over to touch her leg and he makes sure he looks into her eyes as he says, “We don’t have to do anything Betty.” </p><p>The implication weighs heavily in the air, the first insinuation of what they would be doing when they arrive. Betty bites her lip and looks at him darkly, “I want to Juggie. This is a long time coming.” </p><p>Jughead bites his lip to conceal the smile threatening to break out on his face and nods. His hand is still placed on her leg so he rubs his thumb across the fabric of her dress and she places her hand on top of his, stopping his movement and interlocking their fingers together instead.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Jughead all but pulls her out of the car when they arrive, and she laughs at his enthusiasm. They run through the lobby, completely ignoring the <em> Do Not Run </em> sign on the reception bench, and eagerly enter the elevator. He hits the seventh-floor button and smashes the ‘close door’ button several times before Betty grabs the collar of his jacket and guides him to the wall of the lift. He thinks he hears her utter, <em> “I’ve always wanted to do this,” </em>before smashing her lips against his and slamming him hard into the wall.</p><p>He groans and places his hands on her waist before pushing her away and slamming her into the opposite side of the elevator, almost as if to say <em> I don’t think so, I’m in charge. </em>She moans as he lifts her onto the hand railing circling the perimeter of the whole elevator and she wraps her legs around his hips to grind into the bulge in his slacks. </p><p>“I’ve missed you so much,” Jughead utters against her lips. Betty pulls back to detach their lips entirely. She stares at him for a moment, naked with vulnerability, and her eyes seem to cloud.</p><p>“Oh, I’ve missed you too Juggie. So, <em> so </em> much.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>They exit the elevator on the seventh floor and he leads her to his room, hastily removing his wallet from his pocket to get the key card and swipe it across the sensor. Jughead opens the door and Betty follows behind him, excited and anxious for the night ahead. She shuts the door and shakes off her heels then she turns back around to see Jughead looking at her, his shoes now off too. </p><p>Before she can even think, she’s pushed up against the door and he’s devouring her neck, her legs loosely wrapped around his hips and his hands holding her under her ass. Her head hits the back of the door and she moans as he sucks a hickey into the crook of her neck. When she finally has a somewhat coherent thought, her fingers find their place on his shirt buttons and she nimbly unbuttons his shirt to run her fingers on the hard plane of his abdomen, noticeably more defined than two years ago. </p><p>“Have--oh <em> God,” </em>she begins but stops when he sucks another hickey into her neck, “H-have you been working out?” </p><p>Jughead stops sucking her neck and chuckles into her neck before looking up at her with an amused smile, “Yeah, a little bit. Why? You find me more attractive now?” </p><p>“I always thought you were the most attractive guy in the room, I just didn’t know you were going to the gym,” Betty explains, breathless as she feels him again. </p><p>Jughead chuckles again before pulling her legs tighter around his hips and wrapping his arms around her body.</p><p>“I’ll show you all my new strength then,” he teases before proceeding to lift her off the wall and walk her across the room and to the large double bed, sucking on her neck again with no indication that he’s struggling. </p><p>As he drops her on the bed, she shuffles back and he takes off his jacket while looking at her with smug amusement,  “Are you turned on by my strength?” </p><p>Betty laughs and shakes her head, “Well I definitely didn’t think of you the way I am now when I was twelve.” She bites her lip and looks at his chest, still partly covered with the shirt hanging off him.</p><p>He chuckles and shakes off his shirt leaving him bare and shirtless. Betty tilts her head to survey his chiselled body and bites her lip in anticipation. Jughead shakes his head, “Yeah, who’d have thought innocent little twelve-year-old Betty Cooper would grow up. Who’d of thought you would be lying on a hotel bed waiting for me to climb on top of you and fuck you into the mattress.” </p><p>Betty’s body shivers at his language and she moans quietly into the air. She bites her lip to keep her moans at bay but by Jughead’s smirk, he can see his words have affected her. Jughead’s eyes darken until his whole pupil appears black and his smirk turns sinister as he presses his knee into the bed slowly, ever so slowly, it’s almost torture. Betty takes a ragged breath and exhales softly as Jughead’s other knee presses into the mattress. </p><p>He slowly climbs on top of her, caging her in as he places his hands on either side of her head before slowly pushing down and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Betty sighs as he places a kiss on the tip of her nose and finally a gentle kiss on her lips. She tries to push her lips back but he pulls out with a smirk.</p><p>“Oh, you’re going to tease me. Is that what’s happening tonight?” Betty says, her voice seductive and hoarse. Jughead raises his eyebrow and smirks but doesn’t comment.</p><p><em> Handsome bastard, </em> she thinks, <em> you know exactly how you affect me.  </em></p><p>“You are far too dressed,” he says, “It’s time to rectify that I think.” </p><p>He proceeds to flip her onto her stomach and she giggles as she feels his hands find the buttons of her dress. His fingers nimbly unloop every button from its hole, placing a kiss on the plane of her back after every pop. </p><p>“Sit up baby,” he whispers, “This dress is beautiful, but far too hard to get off.” </p><p>Betty giggles as she turns around and sits up on her ass, facing him. She crosses her arms over her head and pulls the long fabric off of her body leaving her topless with a small little scrap of lace between her legs. Jughead groans and pushes her down gently to kiss her neck, her legs falling open and him slipping his body in between. </p><p>As she leans back, she runs her fingers through his hair, holding his head to her neck. His head then moves down to her chest and he automatically puts her right nipple in his mouth, causing it to harden on his tongue. She sighs loudly as he sucks it into his mouth with his right hand coming up to squeeze her other breast. </p><p>He continues to lick and suck on her left nipple before finishing with a wet pop and swapping to the right. Her nipples strain against her skin, so tight and red it causes her to moan. He lets go of her nipple, leaving both of them wet and hard, before smirking and kissing down her stomach, holding eye contact with her as his hand finds the top of her panties.</p><p>Instead of pulling them down and ravishing her with his mouth as she craves, he blows a hot breath on the wet patch of her panties before blowing at the crease of her left thigh, then switching and doing the same with her right. He finally grips the top of her panties and sits up a little to pull them down and off her legs, before returning comfortably with his face in front of her throbbing cunt. </p><p>Just when she thinks he’s going to put his mouth on her, he blows another hot breath onto her open sex causing her body to break out into shivers, all the hairs on her body coming to a stand. She moans loudly into the space of the hotel room and he chuckles before finally placing his tongue on her slit. Her back automatically arches and she throws her head back in ecstasy as he swirls his tongue around her clit and sucks on it hard. Her hands clench the bedsheets on either side of her body as he trails his finger up her leg and around the bare skin of her wet lips. </p><p>They’ve done this before, as exploring sixteen-year-olds, but it’s never felt as good as this. His tongue devouring her pussy, his finger joining his mouth, plunging a digit into her sex, thrusting it over and over again until she’s sweating and moaning. </p><p><em> “Fuck, </em> Oh-oh my <em> god </em> Jughead. <em> Yes, yes! </em> Just like <em> that!” </em> Betty says when he wets a second finger on her now dripping cunt before thrusting it in with the first. He continues to suck on her clit and plunge his fingers in and out of her with abandon until his fingers hit a particular spot deep inside her causing her first orgasm to overtake her suddenly. She yells, <em> “Fuck!” </em>into the air before clenching and cumming hard on his fingers. </p><p>Jughead groans against the dripping wetness of her cunt but doesn’t stop going down on her after she cums, instead, plunging a third finger into her pussy, pushing and pulling harder than before. Betty moans and runs her fingers down his scalp before grabbing onto his hair and pushing him closer to her, rotating her hips with his thrusts. </p><p><em> “Fuck yes! </em> Harder Jug, I’m so close, I’m <em> so close!” </em>She exclaims. He pushes his fingers deeper and swirls his tongue around her clit and before she knows it, an elastic has snapped and she’s screaming and painting his tongue with her cum. Jughead stays there for a minute as she cools down then slowly pulls his fingers out but still licking over her softly, as to gather up all her taste. </p><p>Betty looks down at him as he slowly licks over her sensitive clit and uses her right hand to softly pat his head as if to say <em> enough. </em>Jughead looks up at her and smiles before moving up her body and giving her a tongue-filled kiss, letting Betty taste the tang of herself against his lips. </p><p>Jughead pulls out of the kiss and looks at her softly and she sighs dreamily before murmuring, “I have no idea what you did or what sex-demon possessed you, but I’m one-thousand percent certain you were never that good two years ago.” </p><p>Jughead chuckles and shrugs his shoulder unashamedly, “I <em> may </em> have read a few books.” </p><p>Betty raises her eyebrow, “You <em> may?”  </em></p><p>Jughead nods and nuzzles her neck causing her to squeal in laughter, “Yes I <em> may.”  </em></p><p>Jughead's hands come up to tickle her sides and she screams, rocking her body side to side to get him to stop. He laughs loudly and her heart swoons at the heavenly sound. </p><p>He finally lets up and they just stare at each other, taking in the gravity of the moment. They’re about to have sex for the first time ever. He feels it, <em> she </em> feels it. She bites her lip in nervous anticipation. She then hears the sound of his pants unzipping and she flicks her eyes down to where his slacks once were, his tented boxers now prominent as he kicks off his pants. Jughead looks up and sees her nervous face. He leans down to give her a soft kiss, “We don’t have to do <em> anything. </em>We can stop right here and I’ll die a happy man--with a boner--but still a happy man.”</p><p>She giggles and shakes her head before looking up at him seriously, “I want to do this with you tonight,” <em> What a perfect way to say goodbye. </em>“Finally.”</p><p>Jughead nods then proceeds to kick off his boxers leaving him stark naked. She flicks her eyes down to his hard length and licks her lips. <em> There it is in all its glory. </em>She thinks it might’ve gotten bigger but she wouldn’t dare say anything in fear his ego will climb twice as high as it already is. Jughead leans down to kiss her but stops abruptly, “Shit, I don’t have protection.”</p><p>Betty chuckles, “It’s okay Jug, I’ve been on the pill for years.”</p><p>He exhales and she can see the sparkle of nerves in his eye. She furrows her brows for a moment, “Everything’s gonna be okay Jug.” </p><p>“No I know, I just don’t want this to hurt for you,” he admits, before nuzzling her nose, “I want you to enjoy this as much as I <em> know </em>I will.” </p><p>“I will,” she says before leaning down to wrap her hand around his cock. He chokes for a moment before replacing her hand with his and aligning himself up with her cunt. He looks up at her as he teases his tip along her wet slit, her breathing becoming shallow and her eyes closing as he circles her clit with it. </p><p>“Open your eyes, baby.”  </p><p>Betty opens her eyes and he leans in to kiss her as he slowly slips inside of her for the first time. As he buries himself down to the hilt, he groans against her lips and she hisses at the stretch. He begins to slide back out slowly then bury himself fully again. She moans loudly against his lips and she feels him smile.</p><p>“Good?” he whispers. She moans and nods as he continues, “Amazing.” </p><p>And it is. He warmed her up and got her ready so, apart from the sting at the beginning, the stretch of her pussy around his thick cock, it feels deliciously fulfilling. </p><p>He begins to pick up the pace of his thrusts, pulling in and out faster and faster.</p><p>“Oh God, Jug you feel <em> incredible. </em>Fuck!” Betty pants as he pulls her leg up so it’s bent around him. </p><p>“Oh yeah? You like that?”</p><p><em>“Mhmm.”</em> She hums before kissing him roughly and pulling back out, “Do you like it Jug? Do you like that you’re the only cock that’s been inside of me? Cause I like that I’m the only pussy you’ve fucked.”</p><p>“Fuck Betty, I love it. This pussy is my mine.” He says before wrapping both of her legs around him and thrusting into her hard and deep. His balls slap against her ass as he thrusts harder and harder and her moans grow louder as they feel themselves rush to the edge.</p><p>It feels <em> so good. </em> The feeling of his cock sliding against the walls of her tight cunt, in and out, building her higher and higher making her feel like she could touch the sky. The slickness of their arousal rubbing against her over and over again. <em> Nothing </em>they’ve done could ever measure up to this.  </p><p>“I’m so close baby, please tell me you’re close.” Jughead pants as he leans down to suck a nipple into his mouth.</p><p>Betty yells that she’s close and pants for him to <em> keep going </em> and before they know it, they’re both hurdling into euphoria, white bursting behind their eyes and streams of his hot cum squirting inside her clenching cunt, the slickness of their joint orgasm running down Betty’s legs. </p><p>Jughead pants against her neck and lays on top of her still joined together, his cock slowly softening inside of her. Betty lays slack with her legs wrapped around him and her arms come to wrap around his neck, embracing him with her whole body. He then slowly turns himself over pulling her so she lays on top of him. Betty climbs off of him and lays flat on the bed next to him. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He looks over to see her staring at the ceiling, blissed-out, just as he was. The feeling of being inside her was everything and more, nothing he could’ve dreamt up in his wildest dreams. It felt real and intimate and <em> utterly perfect. </em>It felt like his place, a place fit perfectly for him. </p><p><em> She’s so beautiful. </em> It was so perfect. She was so perfect. He can’t believe he had wanted to distance himself from <em> this. </em>From his love. His only love. </p><p><em> He loves her. </em> He knows he does. So maybe it’s the feeling of being completely at peace or the feeling of post-coitus but he <em> has </em>to say it. </p><p>“I love you.” </p><p>Betty’s head snaps to the side to look at him and she slowly sits up, holding the sheet of the bed against her chest as she goes, “You <em> what?”  </em></p><p>Jughead sits up too and says it again, albeit hesitantly this time, “I love you.”  </p><p>Betty closes her eyes and exhales and his chest sinks. <em> She’s not going to say it back.  </em></p><p>
  <em> I guess I deserve that.  </em>
</p><p>Betty breathes in slowly before opening her eyes and breathing out, “Jughead--” </p><p>“You don’t have to say any--” </p><p>“No, I think I have to.” Jughead nods as if to tell her to proceed but her face crumbles and her eyes cloud with tears. He wraps his arms around her body and she buries her face in his chest.</p><p>“Juggie…” Betty voice breaks as she pulls her head out from his chest and tilts her head, “I can’t do this again.” </p><p>Jughead’s eyes mist over and he looks at her brokenly, “What do you mean baby?’</p><p>“I<em> mean, </em>we’re going to college soon. I got accepted into Harvard, Jug.” </p><p>Jughead beams in pride, “Betty! That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me?” </p><p>Betty shakes her head, “Because <em> you </em> got a full-ride scholarship to NYU. And I was so <em> proud </em> when you told me--I still am--but I didn’t want to take the shine away from your <em> amazing </em>news.” </p><p>“Betty--”</p><p>Betty grabs his arm, “But that means we’re going to be away from each other again. Long-distance <em> again.” </em></p><p>Jughead shakes his head, “It’s only like what..three hours? That’s not bad Betts. I can make the drive. We can do it,” he insists, moving forward to push his forehead against hers, “I love you too much to let you go.”</p><p>Betty leans back and gets up, completely forgetting about her nakedness, “But you were <em> willing </em>to let me go these past few months. You didn’t want me anymore.” </p><p>“Betty--come back--I could never not want you,” Jughead gets up and stands next to her, grabbing her hand and leading her back to the bed slowly. He lays back down and she sighs and gets back in, him wrapping his arms around her as she buries her face in his chest. He continues, “I love you more than life itself. I just didn’t know how to--” he looks for the right word, “--deal with being away from you.”</p><p>Betty sighs, “I know. But we can’t.” She breaks down crying, “We can’t Juggie. As much as it <em> kills </em>me, we can’t be together. We won’t be able to take it.” </p><p>This can’t be happening. He just had the best night of his life and now it feels like she’s being ripped away from him. A tear slips down Jughead’s temple and he squeezes his arms around her even tighter, “Betty--”</p><p>“So I’m breaking up with you. Officially.” </p><p>He feels his heart crack into two. <em> No. </em>No. He shakes his head on the pillow and tears pour down the sides of his face. </p><p>He hears the agony in her voice and he knows she’s crying, “You <em> know </em> I--” he can <em> feel </em> her want to say ‘love,’“--care about you more than anything. Tonight was the <em> perfect </em>way to say to goodbye. T-to spend our last night together a-as a couple.” </p><p>He cries into her hair and he feels his chest become wet with her tears. He wishes he could go back and just say <em> I love you </em> the day he and Jellybean walked out. He wishes he could’ve given all of himself to her and show her he loves her with everything in him, so she doesn’t have to doubt it. He wishes it didn’t have to be this way but as much as it pains him to say it, she’s <em> right.  </em></p><p>Being away from her <em> broke </em>him into a million pieces, as it did, her. And even though he’s technically right, three hours is better than the nine hours from Riverdale to Toledo, it still doesn’t help the fact that they’re away from each other. They’re still apart, it’ll still be hard to see each other, with classes and schedules. He knows what she’s doing is for them and he knows it’s the right thing to do. </p><p>It still hurts like a bitch though. </p><p>After what feels like an eternity, Jughead speaks, “Can I just hold you then? For the rest of our ‘last night together as a couple?’” </p><p>Betty nods against his chest and they lay there for the rest of the night, neither of them getting a blink of sleep.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>He must’ve fallen asleep though because he wakes to the sound of rustling and then realizes that Betty’s warm body is gone from the bed. He shoots up and his eyes open to see her collecting her clothes from the ground. He turns to the side to see the clock on the bedside table read <em> 7:56 AM </em> and he realizes that <em> it’s time.  </em></p><p>Time to say <em> goodbye. </em></p><p>“No, no, no, no.” </p><p>Betty’s turns abruptly and she tilts her head in sadness, “I have to go Jug.” </p><p>Jughead hops out of bed and runs over to her, grabbing her and lifting her, causing her to drop all of her clothes, “Nope, no, no. Not yet. I-I don’t want to say goodbye to you. Please, no.”</p><p>His chest aches at the thought of saying goodbye, so he walks her over and plops her down on the bed before climbing over her and nuzzling her neck, “Can I just, make love to you one more time?” </p><p>He wants to be near her one more time. </p><p>Betty nods and she turns him around so that she’s on top of him.</p><p>They have slow, loving morning sex with Betty riding him and his cries muffled by her breasts as he mouths them. Betty cries too as they find oblivion together and when it’s all over, he presses kisses into every single inch of her body telling her how much he loves her until they both fall asleep wrapped together in each other’s arms.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>When he wakes a second time, she’s gone and all her clothes are off the floor. He feels like a baby as he breaks down and cries again. When he sits up though, he turns to see a piece of paper stolen from the hotel pad on the pillow in which she slept. </p><p>His tears soak the page as it reads,</p><p>
  <em> I love you so much. I’m sorry. Always yours, Betty. </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>She didn’t call a Lyft, she just walked out of the hotel and walked all the way home, her tears rolling down her face as she went. </p><p>Her heart is broken, but this was the right thing to do.</p><p>
  <em> Right?  </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em> tbc </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>whoopsies! don't worry, it all goes up from here ;) </p><p>FOLLOW ME ON TUMBLES @MRSCOLESPROUSE I WANT MORE FRIENDS! </p><p>hey also, THIS IS UNBETAED! if you are a beta, hmu^^^^^ </p><p>(I really hope you guys are staying safe and INSIDE! Take care of your families and stay away from anyone at risk of the being severely impacted by the virus--you know which one, it's the only thing anyone's talking about. But seriously, stay away from the grandparents and those who have weaker immune systems. Wash your hands! Make sure you wash them, don't just use hand sanitizer! The virus is a virus, not a bacteria so even though it helps keep your hands clean, anti-bacterial hand sanny isn't the best thing to prevent you from catching the virus. Do not touch your face! If you're wearing a mask and you touch your face, you've completely defeated the purpose of wearing a mask. Stay safe. Stay inside.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. twenty-two part one</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>four years later, things are different...but also kinda the same...<br/>.<br/>.<br/>.<br/>or </p><p>adults don't know how to be truthful unless they're under the influence of booze and/or weed</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ahahahahaah remember the time i said this would be a one-shot? ahahahahaha</p><p>i've since added two more chapters...but boy this chapter was getting long. the place where this chapter ends is good but i knew that there was still a shit-ton of things i needed to write about so this chap is a little fluff piece. it's kinda a filler but also, a big one, (which makes no sense but i mean that next chapter the BIG big thing will happen--that'll make sense when you've finished reading) </p><p>it's my fave thing I've probably ever written purely for the fact that it's mostly just fun...and happy! there's still the element of OH MY GOD FEELINGS ARE HARD but it's also super cute.</p><p>once again, all mistakes are mine. sorry for that. i edited it like 5 times but if something slipped through...soz...</p><p>i really really like this chapter...so please be nice...</p><p>*also, i changed the layout a little so the swapping of perspectives from Jug to Betty is after the five dots and the same perspective but a different scene is three dots...if that makes any sense.*</p><p>(more serious things will be addressed in the notes at the end)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>twenty-two part one </b>
</p><p>She gasps into his kiss, not realizing he was there. When she pulls out and opens her eyes she gets shocked again, as she always does when she kisses him, because <em> he’s not Jughead. </em>She puts her hand on her chest and smiles, “You scared me, Adam!” </p><p>Her boyfriend laughs and wraps his arm around her waist, embracing her into a half-hug and kissing the top of her head, “I missed you. I wanted to come and surprise you at work.” </p><p>Work being <em> The Blanch </em> Law Firm in New York. After getting her law degree at Harvard Law like the 2018 version of Elle Woods, and completing her year of grad school, she joined one of the most prestigious law firms in New York simply by serendipity. Granted, she’s just a paid intern for now but she’s been with them for a while and she’s confident she’ll solidify a proper job by next month. </p><p>When moving to New York in July last year, she also underwent a four-week creative writing summer program, where she met Adam. To earn extra money, she sends her writing into small publications that publish her work, as well as working night shifts as a waitress at a bar near her apartment in Manhattan. She’s doing <em> a lot, </em>she knows, but she doesn’t care. </p><p>She’s fulfilling her dreams and doing it happily. </p><p>Adam was a surprise in her plan. She’d had one-night-stands all throughout college but never dating one person at a time. </p><p>She couldn’t. It was still too hard. </p><p>But Adam stumbled, literally, into her creative writing class, ten minutes late being endearingly clumsy up the rows of the seats to plop right down beside her. </p><p>He’s handsome, with his light brown hair and his hazel eyes. He’s fairly built, a bit like Archie in the way that he’s bulky around his arms, but he’s a bit of a soft giant. He’d flirted with her horribly but she couldn’t help but accept his offer for coffee. Eight months later and she really likes him but she <em> knows </em> he’s in love with her. He hasn’t said it, because <em> she </em> hasn’t said it. </p><p>She <em> can’t </em> say it. Because he’s not <em> him.  </em></p><p>And she knows that’s horrible. She knows she should break up with Adam and go find Jughead, but last she checked, he was doing well, working for The New York Times as one of their editors <em> and </em> writing his second mystery novel.</p><p>(Whether she’s read his first book is something she’s not going to admit to.) </p><p>(She has. Four times. Reading it felt like jumping inside his mind, the little spurts of his witty humour littered throughout the whole thing making her heart ache. It was compelling and <em> so </em>well written, all she wanted to do was call him and tell him how amazing it was.) </p><p>The last time she talked to him was that fateful night four years ago. She’s seen him a few times when she went back to Riverdale for Christmas, smiling shyly at each other across Pop’s, but other than that, nothing. It isn’t like they hate each other, it’s quite the opposite. He lives in New York, she knows, and it would be so <em> easy </em> to talk to him again. She knows they both care for each other dearly, but now, four years on, they wouldn’t fit into each other’s lives. </p><p>Apart from the fact that she feels like her heart is half-healed, she’s doing okay. She has Adam. </p><p>She’s <em> fine.  </em></p><p>She never thinks about the softness of his black locks that she loved running her hands through. The hair he always hid under that stupid but endearing beanie. She never thinks about the dimples on the corner of his mouth that appear when he truly smiles at her. She never thinks about his neck and how perfectly she fit in it or the way he’d stroke her hair as she laid there. She never thinks about his body or how he knew exactly what she wanted. </p><p>She <em> never </em>thinks about him.</p><p>(Except when she’s alone in her bed and she can sneak her hand down the front of her panties, thinking about how he could pleasure her in a way Adam never could.)</p><p>But Adam fills a void and makes her laugh, and she <em> really </em> likes him. </p><p>(But it’s not love.)</p><p>“Well, thanks,” she says as she wraps her arms around his waist, “You didn’t happen to bring me food did you?” </p><p>She looks up at him and he procures a bag from behind his back with a sly smile. </p><p>“Ah!” Betty says, clapping her hands gleefully before leaning up to peck his lips, “Thank you so much, you’re a godsend. I was gonna pop down and get some food but I’m stockpiled full with cases, as you can see--my desk is a mess--but it’s a <em> good </em>thing because,” she inhales happily, “I think Nat’s finally going to give me the job!” </p><p>Adam’s face lights up and he wraps his arms around her waist before lifting her up, “I’m so proud of you! My smart, gorgeous, lawyer girlfriend.” </p><p>Betty smiles as he drops her and leans in to give her a deep kiss.</p><p>It’s so <em> nice </em> to be loved. <em>He’s </em>so nice. </p><p>But her heart still aches for the one that got away.</p><p>“Oh, by the way, I’m dropping past Veronica and Archie’s tonight for drinks with Vee. I would invite you but Archie is already in Riverdale for the reunion tomorrow and it’s just gonna be me and Vee which would be boring for you so,” Betty adds as she pulls out.</p><p>He nods and rubs his hands up and down her arms before adding, “I wish I could come tomorrow,” with a pout.</p><p>Betty smiles, “It’s okay. You’ve been preparing for this meeting with the publisher for months. It just so happens to fall on the day of my stupid reunion. It’s not that big of a deal.”</p><p>“I wanna meet all your friends and learn about high school Betty though.” </p><p>
  <em> And meet my highschool boyfriend.  </em>
</p><p>“High school Betty was not very fun. She was very busy.” </p><p>He smirks, “Were you a cheerleader?"</p><p>She smacks his head. </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Jughead parks his motorcycle at the place he always comes first when he comes back to Riverdale. Pop’s Chock’Lit Shoppe. His home away from home—which is now his Brooklyn loft in New York. </p><p>Since moving to New York to attend NYU for his major in creative writing and his minor in journalism, he had barely returned to Riverdale <em> or </em> Toledo since leaving. After returning from Riverdale after the Senior Prom, he’d finished up his last few weeks at Toledo High, graduated and got out of there a few days before summer ended to get ready for his first year in New York. Leaving Jellybean was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do, with her sobbing in his arms, his mom looking on sadly. </p><p>But he got on his bike and rode for two days, his duffle-bag strapped in and his backpack firmly on his back, sleeping in two separate motels, eating at highway diners before arriving at NYU where he’d be staying for the next three years. </p><p>College was exactly what he needed to find himself. As a writer and as a person. He’d finally retired the beanie, but still keeps it with him most of the time when he needs to be grounded. He learned about himself but he also learned what it was like for people who lived in a real metropolis and not a small town where everyone knew everyone. Lucky for him, Archie followed him to NYU and Veronica was studying at Columbia, so his anxiety was quelled knowing he had some familiar faces around. They’d met up all the time, eating dinners together but they all felt the void missing from the three of them. </p><p>The woman that sets his heart on fire. The woman he loves more than life itself.</p><p>He’s single. Depressingly so. </p><p>He aches for her to be in his arms. </p><p>It doesn’t mean he didn’t get any experience, oh no, he certainly made his rounds and had a casual relationship for a few months. But nothing emotionally invested. </p><p>His heart already belongs to someone. </p><p>He knows she has a boyfriend, Archie had hesitantly told him when they went out for drinks a few months ago. It didn’t <em> hurt </em> but he did sulk for a good week before deciding that he’s better than that and let it go. He knows she’s happy, fulfilling her dreams and dating a nice guy. </p><p>And if she’s happy, he’s happy. Even if it includes this <em> Adam </em>fellow. </p><p>(Even if Veronica says this Adam fellow is handsome and has big hands. She’s <em> happy.)  </em></p><p>He picked up smoking--cigarettes and weed--in college, a habit he can’t seem to break but knows he should. He’s never gone for any hard drugs or touched a drop of alcohol so he’s counting it as a win. (He’d rather die than turn out like his dad--finding refuge at the bottom of a bottle.) </p><p>He’s where he’s meant to be and as a twenty-two-year-old, who spent most of his life poor, he’s pretty successful. He released <em> ‘The Dark River’ </em> two years ago, which hit the New York Times best-selling list, which he later got a job at after finishing his degrees. He’s working on its sequel, <em> ‘The Sweetest Water’ </em> which is set to head straight to number one which is <em> insane. </em> But readers loved his book and The New York Times loves his writing, so he’s doing <em> well.  </em></p><p>And he’s happy too, he realizes, even if he doesn’t have the one thing he wants the most by his side.</p><p>As he walks through the door, the bell ringing on top of him, Pop turns and looks at him, his face splitting into a wide grin. Jughead smiles and walks towards Pop, the smell of the kitchen wafting through the air, making it feel like home.</p><p>Pop opens his arms out wide, “Ah, Jug! My boy! You’re back! It’s been, what, three months since I saw you last?”</p><p>Jughead shakes his head fondly and sits himself down on the bar in front of Pop, “Three months too long Pops. I missed your burgers, I<em> always </em>miss your burgers. They’re my only lover.”</p><p>Pop raises an eyebrow, “Hey, that’s not true. Word is Betty Cooper’s coming back into town for your reunion tomorrow.”</p><p>Jughead smiles shyly and shakes his head again, “How do you know everything, Pop?”</p><p>Pop smirks, “I’m wise and old. I see things. And <em> hear </em>things.” </p><p>Jughead smiles and raises his eyebrow, “Well, Betty has a boyfriend Pop, and it’s not me.” </p><p>“Well hurry up and get back together. You guys are destined to be together,” Pop points to a booth behind him and Jughead turns to look at it, “You had your first date in that there booth and you two looked like you were hit by Cupid’s arrow.” Jughead looks back at Pop and sighs but Pop continues, “And I know <em> you </em>Jughead, you still love her.”</p><p>Jughead looks down, “Oh Pop, what would we do without your wisdom?” </p><p>“My wisdom is no good without my burgers to go with it. You want your regular?”</p><p>“Of course, Pops,” Jughead says before turning back around to look at the booth. </p><p>He remembers their first date. He was so nervous, shaking like a leaf, as he walked all the way from his trailer to Pop’s, rehearsing what he’d say when he saw her standing there waiting for him.</p><p>It all went out the window when he <em> did </em> see her though, in her pastel yellow dress covered in those little white roses. He’d processed to blank on everything and just mumbled something like <em> “Yursobeautif--” </em>before she proceeded to kiss him smack bang on the lips. He’d pulled out, his lips still puckered as he stared at her chest covered in a pink blush that would travel up her neck and onto those beautiful cheeks. He’d smiled shyly before leaning back down to kiss her, his innocent fourteen-year-old self never believing he could have a girl as beautiful as her. </p><p>They’d sat on the same side of the booth, facing the door, him sliding in first then offering his hand for her to sit down much more elegantly than he did. They’d ordered their weight in loaded fries and he’d eaten two burgers as she bit delicately into her own--after he’d convinced her that burgers were much better for her than those <em> gross and greasy salads. </em>They’d sipped on their milkshakes and talked all night, wishing the world was as simple as it was in their booth. </p><p>He’d walked her home and kissed her in front of her red-painted door before walking all the way home with the stupidest smile on his face. It had all been simple back then, their young romance blossoming into lust and love. </p><p>She had been his everything, even when he didn’t appreciate her for all she was. </p><p>Jughead sighs as he turns back to Pop, only to see his food placed in front of him and Pop looking at him expectantly,</p><p>“You gotta get her back, Jug,” Pop says before turning away.</p><p>Jughead scoffs and laughs, “Yeah, I know.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“So, how are you, my love?” Veronica says as she pours out two glasses of red wine. </p><p>Betty shakes her head as she places herself on one of the stools in the luxurious kitchen of Veronica (and Archie)’s penthouse apartment. She sighs dramatically and grabs the stem of the wine glass as her best friend passes it to her. Betty takes a hearty gulp before placing it on the bench and looking up at an expectant Veronica.</p><p>She rolls her eyes, “Tired.” </p><p>Veronica scoffs and walks around the bench to sit next to Betty on the stool next to her, “You want to try answering again? Maybe with more detail?”</p><p>Betty looks at Veronica before placing her head on the cool marble tabletop and groaning, “I’m <em> anxious, </em> Vee. So, <em> so </em>anxious.” </p><p>Veronica sighs and caresses up Betty’s arm softly, “Have you been taking your meds?”</p><p>Betty looks up and stares at her best friend flatly, “Of <em> course, </em>Vee.”</p><p>“Okay, so what’s going on?”</p><p>Betty groans again, “I just--Is it--” she sighs, “Are you <em> sure </em> he’s going to be there?”</p><p><em> He. We all know who </em> he <em> is. </em></p><p>Veronica nods knowingly, “He RSVPed <em> and </em> told Archie. I’m pretty sure he’s already in Riverdale. But Bee, why are you thinking about it? You have Adam. You’re <em> happy.”  </em></p><p>Betty shakes her head and sighs, “I know, <em> I know. </em>And I really like him--”</p><p>Veronica rolls her eyes, “But he’s not Jughead, I know. We’ve had this conversation every month for the past eight months.” Veronica chuckles, amused, “I can’t believe you’re still hung up on your high school boyf--”</p><p>Betty death-stares her and Veronica stops then continues, “Ok, sorry. Not funny, but you <em> are.” </em></p><p>Betty places her chin on the bench and fiddles with the stem of her glass again. She stares at it as she speaks, “I know, but when you love someone that much and when someone makes you feel the way he made me feel, you can’t just <em> forget </em>and move on. I mean, Jughead--he’s--”</p><p>“Your soulmate,” Veronica says, finishing for Betty. </p><p>Betty rotates her head and looks at Veronica before nodding hesitantly.</p><p>Veronica sighs, “And I mean, if not even Adam, your super hot, super nice boyfriend, can make you forget about him," she shrugs, "no one can.” </p><p>Betty scoffs and looks back at her glass contemplatively, “What am I supposed to do, Veronica? He’s so kind and thoughtful and <em> yeah </em> sometimes he’s messy and unorganised and <em> super </em>clumsy but he’s literally the best.” </p><p>Veronica gets up and walks around the bench to grab the bottle of wine to refill her glass. When she stops, she picks it up and takes a long sip before placing it back down onto the bench. She looks at Betty thoughtfully before finally speaking, </p><p>“I think you should take this weekend away to Riverdale as a way to see your life without Adam and to give you the courage to break up with him. I know you really like him but I know he would feel hurt that you’re thinking about someone else while being with him. So, take this time to sort out what you’re going to do and what you’re going to do when you see Jughead again.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>“How’re you doing bud?” Jughead says, smiling wide at his best friend as he sits next to him by the bar. </p><p>Jughead hates this kind of environment, the smell of whisky heavy in the air and the sound of glass hitting the tables reminding him all too well of the times he had to go into the Whyte Wyrm to find his dad as a kid. But as his red-headed best friend sits next to him, a beaming smile on his face, he can’t help but smile back.</p><p>“I-I’m <em> good. </em>I’m super nervous for tomorrow. I mean I put the idea of the reunion in her head so I could bring her back to school and propose to her where we first met, but there’s gonna be a tonne of people and--”</p><p>“You’re going to do great Arch. Veronica loves you with everything in her and we all know she’s going to say yes.” Jughead says, hitting his best friend on the shoulder supportively.</p><p>“I know but--”</p><p>Jughead chuckles, “No buts, she’s going to love it.” </p><p>Archie nods and turns to signal the bartender, “It’s just terrifying, knowing I’m going to be with her for the rest of my life. I mean, marriage comes with all these expectations and it <em> terrifies me. </em> I love her man, but I’m <em> so scared </em>that all the up-and-downs of life will split us up as we grow older.”</p><p>The bartender comes up to them at that point and Jughead looks at Archie thoughtfully as he orders one beer and one coke. As the bartender walks away, Archie looks back and Jughead and continues, “I mean I <em> know </em> your parent’s divorce was <em> a lot </em> messier than mine but they still got divorced, man. And they’re still <em> happy. </em> I had to grow up wondering <em> why </em> they split when they clearly still love each other.” </p><p>That’s the golden question, isn’t it?</p><p>Why would Fred give up his love? Why would he distance himself from the woman he loves more than life itself? </p><p>Why would Betty break up with <em> him </em> when she’s clearly still in love with him? </p><p>It’s about protection. The protection of their hearts, the protection of each other <em> from </em> each other. The fear that one day everything will come crashing down. That maybe high-school sweethearts don’t get to experience everything and they’ll come to resent each other. The fear of heartbreak. That they acted on impulse and on first love and that <em> maybe they’re not actually meant to be.  </em></p><p>It doesn’t matter now though, because they’re not together. </p><p>Jughead looks down and sighs, “It doesn’t matter that my parents basically hated each other or that your parents still love each other, if they’re not meant to be Arch, they’re not meant to be. It is what it is. But you two--You and Veronica--you’re meant to be together.”</p><p>Archie observes Jughead for a moment before murmuring quietly, “W-what about you and Betty? You don’t think you’re supposed to be together?”</p><p>Jughead turns to the bench where his coke has just been placed down in front of him. He picks it up and takes a hearty gulp before placing back down, “Just like I said Arch, it is what it is.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>After that, their conversation never really picked back up mood-wise, so after they finished their drinks, Jughead made the suggestion of <em> “You wanna hotbox your car?” </em>which led them to where they are now. Sitting in the deserted Picken’s Park parking lot, smoking weed from a blunt and all but crying. </p><p>“I love you, bro,” Archie says, head back against the headrest looking up into the black of the sky from the closed sunroof. </p><p>Jughead turns his head and looks at Archie with a gasp, “I love <em> you, </em> bro. You’re like my <em> brother.” </em></p><p>Archie proceeds to turn his head and look at Jughead, “Dude, you <em> are </em> my brother.”</p><p>
  <em> “Dude.”  </em>
</p><p>Both men turn their heads back, looking up into nothing, the sounds of the crickets accompanied by the sound of Jughead blowing out smoke every once in a while. He passes the blunt to Archie and he takes a hit, the car filling with more and more smoke after each exhale. </p><p>“I’m sorry you and Betty didn’t work out,” Archie says, after a while of silence.</p><p>Jughead grabs the blunt from Archie’s hand and takes a deep breath, feeling the drug fill his lungs as he inhales, before taking it out of his mouth again, “Can we not talk about it? I try to keep it together but I feel like anytime someone says her name, I just want to cry.”</p><p>Archie nods, still leaning back against his seat, “I get it man and I feel like--like we, as men, <em>as men,</em> aren’t like... <em> allowed </em>to cry. Like we’re weak or sensitive for showing emotion but, I’m telling you, man, you can cry all you want here.” </p><p>Jughead nods enthusiastically, “I get it. It’s like men aren’t allowed to be vulnerable. My dad would tell me every time I started crying that I should ‘man up’ and that I’m ‘too sensitive.’ It’s like if we cry, we’re automatically seen as weak cause we have like...actual emotions. Like, that’s not fair. Let me cry if I want to. But no, society tells us we have to face it like men and we can’t show that we’re struggling in any way.” </p><p>Archie nods in agreement, “I feel like my dad was good with that though. He let me be me.”</p><p>Jughead scoffs and turns his head to look at his best friend, “Yeah, well your dad’s a saint. Of course, he would say that.” </p><p>Archie shakes his head fondly, “I got pretty lucky in the parent department, despite what I said before about them not working out.”</p><p>Jughead looks back up and nods, “Mary and Fred Andrews are literally one of the only good things that came out of this town, apart from you.” </p><p>Archie shakes his head, “And you, bro. You’re crazy successful with your book and your job. And Betty--ah shit.” </p><p>Jughead stays silent for a moment before bringing the joint up to his lips and taking a big puff making him cough. Then he nods and speaks, albeit quietly, “She’s the <em> best </em> thing to ever come out of this town. I mean, she’s a lawyer <em> and </em> she publishes amazing works of writing. She’s incredible and beautiful and an absolutely perfect human being even if she thinks she isn’t. I mean, one time back when we were together and she face-timed me one morning, I saw her put milk before cereal when she was too tired to think coherently and I <em> still </em> think she’s the most perfect specimen on this earth.”</p><p>Archie opens his mouth to talk but Jughead keeps going, “She smells amazing, like old books and rose water and I’d die just to smell her one more time. </p><p>"And now she’s with <em> Adam, </em>who is buff and handsome and better than me in every way. And I get it. I get why she’d be with him and not me.” </p><p>Jughead’s bottom lip begins to wobble and he feels his eyes cloud up. He doesn’t know if it’s from the smoke in the car or from the emotion, “I love her so much and I miss her so much. Everyday. Every night I dream of her. Every morning I wake up thinking she’s next to me and she <em> isn’t.” </em></p><p>He’s full-on bawling now, “I just miss the way her hand fit perfectly into mine and the way her small head fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. The way our bodies knew exactly how to move together. And like, <em> of course, </em>I miss being intimate with her but not just for release, I just miss being so close to her that I could feel every inch of her body against mine. I miss how when her lips would touch mine, I could finally breathe.”</p><p>He turns to Archie, “I haven’t been able to breathe in four years, Archie. And I don’t mean from the impact of cigarettes or joints on my lungs. I feel like I can’t breathe without her by my side. Like she’s my air and I’ve just been trying to find substitutes for it.” </p><p>Archie finally speaks up, his eyes glistening suspiciously with tears, “God, man, you gotta get her back.”</p><p>Jughead nods, “So I’ve been told. But she’s with Ada--”</p><p>“They’re not getting married and--from what Veronica’s told me <em>and</em> <em>she would kill me for telling you this but I’m high as fuck right now so I don’t really care</em>--Betty’s not too keen on Adam.”</p><p>Jughead sits up, wiping his eyes and turning his body completely towards Archie, “What do you mean?”</p><p>Archie rolls his eyes, “I <em> mean, </em>she’s not in love with him.”</p><p>Jughead narrows his eyes and tilts his head, “But they’ve been together for like eight months, right? How could she not love him?”</p><p>Archie smiles, “I don’t know. Maybe something’s holding her back. Maybe her feelings for you?” </p><p>Jughead blinks and feels his jaw go slack, “Fuck.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The next morning, Betty opens her car trunk and loads her small suitcase in before shutting it, walking around and opening her car door for her to get inside. She shuts the door before she starts her car and plugs her phone in, her music loading up and blasting out from the speakers. Betty scrolls through her Spotify playlist and picks <em> Lost In Yesterday </em>by Tame Impala before putting her phone down and driving off. </p><p>Getting out of the city is always the hardest, the bustling New York traffic usually keeping her trapped in the city longer than she wants, so she leads her car around into the streets and avoids the main road until she can get to a place with easier access to the freeway. </p><p>She gets stuck behind a car and huffs as she slows to a stop behind them. The lyrics play on, </p><p>
  <em> If it calls you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Embrace it </em>
</p><p>Betty turns her head and death-stares the radio before crossing her arms over her chest, <em> yeah, no not going to do that.  </em></p><p>
  <em> If it haunts you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Face it </em>
</p><p>Betty rolls her eyes and looks forward while uttering a soft, <em> “No.”  </em></p><p><em> This seems a little too ironic, </em>she thinks as the cars start up again and she drives forward only to get stuck again. She throws her arms up in an agitated sigh. </p><p>
  <em> I know it's mad, I understand </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It's only snakes and ladders </em>
</p><p>Betty looks at the stereo and narrows her eyes. She mutters to herself, <em> “What the actual fuck? No! I’m not facing Ju--and I’ve resorted to talking to my radio.”  </em></p><p>As the cars start up again and Betty finally gets a clean run, Tame Impala’s words echo in her brain, </p><p>
  <em> If it calls you </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Embrace it </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>She makes it to Riverdale in good time, getting there exactly three hours and thirty minutes after leaving her apartment at nine, pulling into the Pop’s just in time for lunch. She parks her car and all but rushes out, dying for one of Pop’s shakes she hasn’t had in months.</p><p>As she walks in, a sweep of nostalgia brushes over her and she can’t help but look over to <em> their </em> booth out of habit. </p><p>He’s not sitting there but <em> Archie </em>is, with Fred.</p><p>“Archie!” Betty exclaims from her place near the counter.</p><p>Archie turns and his face lights up in happiness before he gets up and walks over to her, throwing his arms around her in a hug. He squeezes her tight before letting her go and moving back, “Hey! You getting some food?” </p><p>“Yeah, I haven’t ordered yet.” Betty looks at him, excited, “Are you ready for tonight?”</p><p>Archie’s eyes flick over to the bathroom before flicking back to her, “Yeah, yeah, <em> super </em> nervous though.”</p><p>Betty rolls her eyes and slaps his shoulder, “Don’t be. She loves you so much.” </p><p>Archie’s eyes flick over again and Betty turns to give it a look before turning back to him with narrowed eyes. </p><p>And then it clicks,</p><p>“He’s in there isn’t he?”</p><p>Archie scoffs, “What? No!” </p><p>She can see straight through him, he’s never been a good liar. Betty rolls her eyes, “You suck at lying.”</p><p>Archie sighs, “Okay fine, yes he is.” </p><p>“You gave in way too easy.” She says fondly, shaking her head before pointing her thumb back towards the counter, “Well, I’m just going to order my food and leave anyways. I was going to go over to Sweetwater and sit by the river so…” </p><p>Archie nods and flicks his eyes over to the bathroom again. Betty nods once before pivoting and walking away from him, just in time for Pop to come out from the kitchen,</p><p>“I thought I heard my Betty Cooper coming in! How are you, darling!” </p><p>Betty smiles widely before shrugging, “As good as I can be Pop, how about you?” </p><p>“Well, I’d feel better if my two favourite customers weren’t avoiding each other,” He says, coyly. </p><p>Betty gasps with a smile, “Pop! Are you meddling?” </p><p>Pop shakes his head fondly before turning around and grabbing the bag one of the chefs finished, “No, I’d just feel much better if you two got back together.”</p><p>Betty smiles and bites her lip, not commenting. Pop hands the bag to her and she looks at it in question. She hasn’t ordered yet.</p><p>He shrugs, “I heard your voice, I knew it was you, you’ve ordered the same thing since you were six. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what you wanted.”</p><p>Pop grabs the milkshake the chef passes him through the window and hands it to her as well. Pop insists the meal is on the house and Betty thanks him graciously before turning back to Archie’s table and waving goodbye to him and his dad. </p><p>As she climbs into her car, she thinks she sees him walk out the bathroom and into Archie’s booth. Archie murmurs something to him before he turns and looks at her car as it pulls out of its spot. </p><p>Their eyes connect.</p><p>
  <em> It’s magnetic. </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>
  <em> Ah fuck. </em>
</p><p>Of course, of fucking course. </p><p>As soon as Archie whispered, <em> “Betty was just here dude,” </em>Jughead had turned to see her get into her car. </p><p>And as soon as she’d closed her door and looked up at him, their eyes connected. </p><p>
  <em> Fuck, turn away, turn away, look away, goddamnit.  </em>
</p><p>They hold eye contact before Jughead turns back to look at Archie, giving him a tight smile. Archie eyes his best friend before looking at his dad and then back at Jughead, “You alright bro?”</p><p>Jughead scoffs, “I’m fine. I’ve seen her since we broke up. I’m not going to break down crying.”</p><p>Archie lifts his shoulder, “Last night would beg to differ.”</p><p>Jughead narrows his eyes, “I was hi--” Jughead flicks his eyes to Fred, who was looking at him with an amused smile and his eyebrows raised, “--sad. I was sad. That’s why I was crying. Because I was sad.”</p><p>The lie falls flat and Fred speaks up, “Uh-huh.”</p><p>Jughead rolls his eyes and smiles before turning back to look at Archie, “It’s been four years. I’m over her.”</p><p>Archie pats him on the back, “Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that buddy. Let’s see how you go tonight.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Hours later, Jughead walks out of The Five Seasons, dressed in an all-black suit with a black turtleneck underneath, the wintery chill still in the air as spring arrives. He’d tried to contain his hair with some hair gel but had messed it up five seconds after he put it on. So his hair falls freely as he walks towards the car, floating gently in the breeze. He also has his old-style, round prescription glasses placed firmly on his face. </p><p>He hates wearing them but he wants to actually be able to <em> see </em> people when he walks in and not have to approach them and start a conversation to see who they are.</p><p>He walks towards a visibly nervous Archie, wearing a velvet, dark-red suit jacket, with an ironed black shirt and slacks with a black bow-tie. </p><p>Jughead pats Archie on his shoulder, “Arch, you’re going to be fine. I could feel your anxiety from the top of the elevator.” </p><p>The red-head nods and walks around the car to get inside, Jughead getting into the passenger seat. </p><p>When they’re both in the car, they sit for a moment, both mentally preparing themselves for two separate reasons before Archie nods enthusiastically and starts the car, </p><p>“Let’s do this.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Her mother’s house is exactly the same, as it has been for the last twenty-two years she’s lived there. Her father moved out long before her parent’s divorce and her sister still lives in a commune with her husband and their two red-haired twins, so when Betty had arrived, after sitting at Sweetwater River to eat her lunch, it was just her mom there, waiting with open arms. </p><p>She won’t lie and say she isn't glad to see her mother. The familiarity of her arms and the smell of her perfume always makes her feel at home even when she gets on Betty’s nerves. </p><p>She’d spent a few hours talking to her mother and catching up before going upstairs into her old childhood bedroom to answer Veronica’s phone call, letting her know she’d arrived in Riverdale and that she was super excited to see everyone. And then she began getting ready for the reunion/Archie’s proposal.</p><p>Physically <em> and </em>emotionally. </p><p>She’d sat on a bench at Sweetwater River earlier and thought about Jughead and the quick glimpse she got of him, making her more nervous for tonight. Seeing Jughead had really made her realize the depth of what she was contemplating. Her feelings for Adam, her feelings for <em> Jug. </em>She truly hadn’t grasped the fact that she was thinking about ending her current relationship so that she can jump into a relationship with her past. </p><p>Betty’s never been good with change. She hated when Jughead left, hated that their relationship had ended due to distance. She’d struggled at the beginning of college, fitting in and finding her place before she found some friends to help her settle. She’d struggled again, moving to New York, finding a job and jumping into a new (semi) serious relationship.  She doesn’t like too many things changing at once so this whole situation is messing with her head. </p><p>As she finished getting ready, she surveyed herself in the mirror, breathing in deeply. She looked <em> good, </em>she had to admit, but she knew she wore this for someone.</p><p>A flash of guilt runs up her spine. </p><p>Her playsuit, a complete white ensemble, with a fabric belt around her waist, is sleeveless with four white buttons almost resembling a trench coat; it is short, short enough to show most of her legs, making her slightly uncomfortable (but Veronica said she looks amazing in it, so she’d conceded in wearing it,) it’s collared and it dips down to shape against her cleavage. She has high, black stiletto shoes that she <em> knows </em>will kill her feet by the end of the night, and she partnered her outfit with a black, embroidered clutch. Her hair is down and pinned on one side in effortless curls. </p><p>She grabs her long, black coat and throws it over her arm before grabbing her phone, some lipgloss and shoving it in her bag, along with her keys and wallet. She steps downstairs quietly, trying and failing to avoid her mother on her way out.</p><p>“Wait! Let me look at you.” </p><p>Betty rolls her eyes and turns to face her mother, placing her arms out and exclaiming unenthusiastically, “Here I am.” </p><p>Alice looks at her critically and before she can say anything, Betty jumps in, “I’m twenty-two, mom. You don’t have to do this anymore.”</p><p>Her mother puts her hands up defensively, “I’m not doing anything. You look very nice.” </p><p>Betty smiles and her mom continues, “Did you text Adam?”</p><p>Betty bites her lip, “No, mom.”</p><p>Alice raises an eyebrow, “Is Jughead going tonight?”</p><p>She feels fourteen again, getting grilled by her mother. It’s silent for a moment, “Yes, mom.” </p><p>The older woman smirks for a moment before nodding, “Ok, well have fun, say congrats to Archie and Veronica for me and--” Alice touches her daughter’s arm, “--be smart. You have a boyfriend back in New York.”</p><p>“Mom--”</p><p>Alice chuckles, “I’m joking. But also, I’m not because I know how much you love Jughead.”</p><p>Betty rolls her eyes and turns around to walk towards the door, “I have a boyfriend. I would never do that.”</p><p>Alice hums, “You didn’t deny it.”</p><p>Betty pauses and turns to look at her mother in confusion, “Deny what?”</p><p>“That you love him.” </p><p>Flustered, Betty spills out an answer, not thinking, “I’ll always love Jughead.” </p><p>Alice opens her mouth to speak but Betty beats her to it, “I have to go pick up Veronica, mom. I love you.”</p><p>As she walks out the door, she hears her mom yell, “I love you too”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>Veronica looks stunning, stepping out of the Pembrooke, her black coat, open for Betty to see her black, high-neck lace dress. It is sleeveless and has sheer, see-through triangle cutouts on the side and as Veronica takes her coat off and turns to open the door, Betty can see that her back is also see-through. The neckline of the dress is also sheer, cutting off at the top of where her cleavage would sit. The dress is short and has black embroidered flowers on it and Betty knows this had to be expensive.</p><p>Veronica had her black, leather mini Dionysus Gucci bag which Betty knew retailed over two and a half grand. Her hair was curled elegantly and her makeup is dark and smoky. </p><p>But Betty’s not surprised that Veronica looks flawless. She always does.</p><p>After Veronica turns and places her coat and bag in the back she turns back to look at Betty with an exhale, “Hi love. How are you feeling?”</p><p>Betty shakes her head and looks down at Veronica’s dress again, “Vee, you look amazing.”</p><p>Veronica waves her off, “This ol’ thing. We should be talking about <em> you! </em>You look incredible.” </p><p>Betty smiles bashfully and Veronica continues, “Honestly, Archie called me earlier and he seemed super nervous and shaky and you know me, I’m naturally suspicious so I think something may be happening tonight. I wanted to look extra good.” </p><p>Betty nods, biting her lip to keep her face from splitting into a smile. </p><p>Veronica continues, “But seriously, how are you?”</p><p>Betty checks that Veronica’s seatbelt is buckled before turning her car back into drive and driving towards their old school. She then answers Veronica’s question, “I’m okay, I think. I saw Jug earlier at Pop’s and I think that mentally prepared me for what I’m dealing with emotionally tonight.”</p><p>“And what’s that?”</p><p>Betty exhales, “A lot of emotion. Guilt, for Adam. Confusion, for what I feel for Jughead. I’ve gotta face things from the past, feelings and decisions and it’s <em> a lot </em> but it’s gotta happen.”</p><p>“And you’re ready,” Veronica says as a statement but means more like a question.</p><p>Betty shrugs, “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>The reunion has kicked off, all his old classmates are here and buzzing with excitement. Archie is anxious, pacing the floor and frantically greeting everyone. Jughead’s already tried to calm him down and remind him that he’s practically married already, but Archie just brushes him off with a wave of his hand and goes back to stressing.</p><p>He’s already talked to a few of his old classmates, some of whom hated him, but he feels more confident now, more secure in his self-worth. As a kid, he would often think that he wasn’t good enough to have the luxuries that the Northsiders had. He had to live with the unfortunate cards he’s been dealt and accepted them as what he deserved. </p><p>But now, he knows he should have been treated differently. He should have been his parents' first priority, he should not have had to look after his father as a drunk or mourn his mother for leaving him. They should have been loving, caring parents who cared and loved him even if they were picking up scraps for money or living in a dinghy trailer park. Even though everything was shit around him, he should’ve had the loving family he deserved. </p><p>He knows he’s worth a lot more than how he was treated. College taught him that. He was equal next to people who grew up in the north sides of their towns, who had nuclear families and weren’t drowning in debt. His grades were sometimes better than theirs. He was a better writer, a better man, for going through what he did as a child, but he knows nobody deserves to go through that and he knows now that whatever these people thought about him, when he was dancing around with Betty Cooper at her school dances or when his school would merge with theirs for carnivals or games and he would be attached to Betty’s hip or brooding in the corner, that it didn’t matter. </p><p>He was more than just the boy raised on the Southside with a deadbeat dad who went to jail and sent him into foster care. He was more than the boy whose mom left him. </p><p>He’s a published author with a degree and an apartment in New York City. He knows he’s a good writer and he knows he’s doing well. Anything these people say or think doesn’t matter to him. </p><p>The clock is rounding to the time Veronica asked everyone to arrive--little did she know everyone was already there and waiting for her. Archie had briefly messaged Betty asking for their ETA and was shitting bricks that she was practically outside. </p><p>When they walk in, the world seems to stop. </p><p>Archie’s eyes are glued to his girlfriend (hopefully, soon-to-be-fiancé) but Jughead’s are glued to a vision in white. A blonde goddess, with her creamy legs on full display and her blonde locks cascading around her shoulders. Her shoulders are rolled back in such a way that alludes confidence and he feels himself audibly inhale. Her eyes are gleaming as she walks towards him and the people around him seem to blur into one as she stops and parks herself in front of him.</p><p>He snaps out of it when she goes in to hug Archie and he realises <em> oh right, other people exist.  </em></p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>She can feel his eyes on her with every step she takes and as she approaches the boys alongside Veronica, it’s hard not to look at him. He looks stupidly handsome but she tries not to survey him too closely.</p><p>She has a boyfriend after all.</p><p>When she pulls out of her hug with Archie, she turns to look at him and she smiles shyly, “Hi Jug,”</p><p>He exhales roughly but maintains a smile on her face, “Hey, Betty.” </p><p>Somehow, she hears everything else he says in those two words. <em> You look so beautiful. </em></p><p>
  <em> I missed you. </em>
</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>After the girls arrive, everything happens so fast. Archie goes up on stage and welcomes everyone, before saying he’ll perform a song for old times sake. He surprises everyone with a new original he’s been working on, and all the women in the room basically sigh wistfully at the love-filled lyrics and the passion in his voice. </p><p>Archie never breaks eye contact with Veronica and Betty wraps her arms around her best friend as she starts to break down in tears.</p><p>Betty knows her best friend, Veronica knows what’s coming.</p><p>After the song is finished, Jughead walks on stage and, very noticeably, hands Archie a small black box and Veronica’s hands fly to her face. She steps towards the stage, leaving Betty behind, as Archie begins to speak into the microphone about all the things he loves about his girlfriend and why he <em> so badly </em>wants to marry her.</p><p>At this point, nearly everyone, including some of the men, is crying. </p><p>When Archie <em> finally </em> gets on one knee, Veronica runs onto stage and joins him on her knees, screaming <em> yes! </em>before wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a big firm kiss. They both stand and he slips the ring onto her finger before wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her in the air, giving her a passionate kiss.</p><p>Betty sighs wistfully as she watches them, tears slipping down her face slowly.</p><p>She feels his presence come stand next to her before she sees him. He sighs and she can hear the wistfulness in his voice. </p><p>“They’ll be happy together,” he murmurs, just loud enough for her to hear over the commotion of the hall. </p><p>She knows they’ll be happy together. Veronica has only ever praised Archie as a partner, as a lover and Archie is so in love with Veronica, she basically has him wrapped around her finger. They make love look <em> easy.  </em></p><p>He continues, turning his head to look at her, “They’ll be together until they’re old and grey.” </p><p>Betty's eyes cloud with tears again before turning to look at him, “I want that.” </p><p>Jughead nods in agreement, still holding eye contact, “You’ll get it.”</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>After the proposal, everyone’s attention is on the newly engaged couple, so he thinks if he pops out for a smoke, no one would notice. </p><p>The slight bite of cold in the air hits his face as he pushes through the doors of the school and steps down the steps. He grabs his box of Marlboro cigarettes out of the inner pocket of his blazer, opens the lid and grabs a cigarette before placing it in his mouth. He tucks the box away and grabs his lighter before flicking the flame and blocking the wind as he sets the cigarette alight.</p><p>As he tucks his lighter away, he takes a big inhale of the nicotine, feeling the drug seep into his lungs, calming him down slightly.</p><p>It’s just <em> a lot.  </em></p><p>His best friend just got engaged and the only girl he’s ever loved is in that room trying her best not to look at him. After he’d made that comment to her, she’d smiled stiffly and walked off to go see Veronica’s new ring, leaving him to wonder if he should even <em> try.  </em></p><p>He feels his heart crack every time he sees her. </p><p>He inhales another deep breath before blowing the vapour out. He watches as it dissolves in the air. </p><p>Images flash in his mind. The dip of her waist, the curve of her breasts, the length of her legs. Her hair flowing down her shoulders, the flick of her eyelashes as she blinks, the soft upturn of her lips. Her lips against his, on his chest, wrapped around his cock. </p><p>Wrapped around someone else’s. </p><p>He sees his cock sliding into her, fucking her slowly and whispering how much he loves her into her hair. He sees <em> another </em> man, fucking her into her mattress, slapping her ass, fucking her the way he knows she likes to be fucked. </p><p>Fuck. He feels more wound up than before. </p><p>Before he knows it, he’s smoked all of his cigarette. He flicks it on the ground and rubs his shoe against it, making sure the light has gone out before opening his pocket up and grabbing a pre-rolled joint. </p><p>He lights up the joint and inhales the drug, immediately feeling the effects of the weed. A calmness settles over him and he takes a seat on the bottom step of the stairs.</p><p>A content smile sets on his face and he tilts his head up to look at the stars, the faint sound of the music from the reunion playing in the background. </p><p>He hears the doors open and the faint tap of heels against the floor as they step down the stairs. </p><p>He knows who it is without having to look at her.</p><p>She steps down the last step before sitting next to him. He takes another inhale of the joint before blowing it out, still not looking at her. </p><p>She clears her throat, “Nice glasses. I didn’t know you needed them.” </p><p>Jughead snorts, “Yeah, I didn’t want to get them. But, when I spend every night on my laptop in the dark, I was bound to need them.” </p><p>He can feel her nod beside him and he takes another inhale of the joint. </p><p>The air between them is stifling. </p><p>She clears her throat again, “So, I didn’t know you smoked.” </p><p>Jughead turns his head and looks at her in amusement, “Do you?”</p><p>She shrugs, “Yeah, sometimes.”</p><p>He offers her his joint and she takes a puff. After a few puffs, he can see the drug take effect on her body, making her less rigid and more relaxed. </p><p>There’s a silence between them. The type of silence only two ex-lovers could have. The fact that they know each other on such an intimate level, have seen the nakedness of their bodies and the nakedness of their souls. Have put their hearts out on the line for each other and have continuously had them broken. It all sits heavily in the air. </p><p>He feels the way she wants to reach out without even having to look at her and he knows she can feel the way he wants to wrap his arms around her.</p><p>Years have passed, but it’s still the same.</p><p>He can feel the way she’s chanting <em> you have a boyfriend </em>in her mind, and the way the two feet between them seems like too much space. She wants to move closer and so does he. </p><p>But they don’t. </p><p>Betty sighs as she passes the joint back to him and opens her mouth to talk but he butts in, “When’d you meet him?” </p><p>She furrows her brows in confusion before realizing what he’s referring to, “Uh, a year ago. I—<em> we </em> attended a summer program for creative writing.” </p><p>Jughead scoffs with a smile on his face, “A writer, huh?”</p><p>Betty observes him as she nods, “Yup, a writer.” </p><p>He sticks his lower lip out, “Well, he seems like a nice guy—“</p><p>She interrupts, “Why are we talking about this?” </p><p>Jughead turns back to look at her and shrugs, “It’s the only thing you’re thinking about. Your relationship. You won’t even have a civil conversation with me after our best friends get <em> engaged.” </em></p><p>Betty scoffs, “I didn’t want to talk about how I want to find someone to spend the rest of my life with, with my ex-boyfriend, the only man I’ve ever truly…” She sighs and redirects her sentence, “I didn’t want to talk about that with you.” </p><p>Jughead turns his head to look out and sighs. The only man she’s ever truly loved. Just how she’s the only woman he’s ever truly loved. Why does everything have to be so hard? Why can’t they just be together? </p><p>They don’t have any of the complications they had in the way from when they were eighteen. Yeah sure, there’s a big Adam sized problem, but if they truly were meant to be together, they’d find their way back. </p><p>But maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe she knew Adam was reliable and wouldn’t break her heart. Maybe she didn’t trust Jughead anymore. Maybe she just didn’t love him anymore.</p><p>It’s silent again and there’s so much going on in his mind. But he has to know, “Do you regret it?”</p><p>She looks at him in confusion, “What?”</p><p>He shrugs, “I don’t know,” his voice shakes, “Everything.”</p><p>She is quiet for a long moment. Heat floods to his cheeks, the drug has taken effect on him, he shouldn’t have said that. He opens his mouth to tell her to forget he asked, but she finally says, albeit quietly, “Just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean you weren’t the best thing that ever happened to me. Because you were.” </p><p>He exhales roughly and his eyes cloud with tears, “Yeah,” a tear drips down his face, “You too.”</p><p>He hears Betty sniffle and turns his head to look at her. Her beautiful face is shimmering with silver tears and he shuffles closer to wrap his arms around her body. He feels her stiffen before relaxing in his grip. </p><p>They stay like that for a while, basking in each other’s warmth before Jughead pulls out to look down at her. She looks up at him and her eyes flicker down to his lips.</p><p>He doesn’t even know who leaned in first.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>It feels like euphoria. </p><p>An explosion against her mouth. </p><p>His hands find purchase on her face and he pushes their lips together so hard you wouldn’t know where he ends and she begins. There's a certain urgency to his kiss, one she feels too. All thought of anything else is thrown out of her head as his tongue finds its way into her mouth. Jughead groans into her mouth and she bites his lip before kissing him again. </p><p>She’s craved the softness of his lips and the way it fits perfectly into hers. The way the area of her waist is perfectly fit against his hand. </p><p>She’s never had this with anyone but him. The passion, the fire, someone so simpatico. And she knows that.</p><p>She knows that every morning she wakes up in her boyfriend’s bed. She knows that even when she pushes it down and wraps her boyfriend in her arms. She knows that no one can replace Jughead no matter how hard she tries.</p><p>But she’s not a cheater, and Adam’s a good person. So even though his lips against hers just feels <em> right, </em>she pulls back and opens her eyes, grabbing his face softly. </p><p>“We have to stop.” </p><p>Jughead rests his forehead against hers and sighs, “I know. I’m sorry, I got carried away.”</p><p>Her heart hurts, “I did too, it’s okay. But I still have a boyfriend, I’m not a cheater. No matter how much I want to keep kissing you, I won’t do that to him.”</p><p>Jughead nods, “Just tell him, I kissed you,” He says, rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks.</p><p>She sighs, “But I kissed you back. No, I need to do the thing I’ve been putting off since I got with him.”</p><p>The hope that appears on his face makes her heart melt. He smiles softly and her heart pounds harder. His emotions are written all over his face, happiness, relief, empathy. </p><p>As much as it’s going to kill her to do it, she <em> has </em> to break up with Adam. She has to give up the security Adam holds, and jump headfirst into the risk that is Jughead. She needs to give in to love and not settle for someone she knows will be comfortable. </p><p>She doesn’t love Adam. She can never love Adam. </p><p>But she loves the man in front of her, the boy he was and the man he has become. </p><p>She was never uncertain about how much she loved him, she just buried it deep inside and kept it hidden. She pushed it away and fell into a relationship with what she thought she needed to move on. But everything is clear now. There’s no confusion with what she needs to do.</p><p>There’s guilt for Adam, but there’s no confusion.</p><p>Seeing him, touching him, kissing him. Betty knew what it would do. She knew the impact it would make. That’s why she was so anxious to see him again in the first place. She knew, subconsciously, that if she saw him, she’d be giving everything she had with Adam up. </p><p>Jughead exhales roughly, wetly, and his smile grows, “I’ll be waiting for you when you're ready.” </p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>.</p><p>tbc</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>so hey. </p><p>someone needs to tell me i use too many commas because i'm not gonna stop until someone does...</p><p>hope you liked! please please comment your fave lines cause i'm desperate for validation. that's not a joke. </p><p>another chapter will come when i feel like it.</p><p>ok. it's a shitty time right now. we're still in a pandemic, sure it's not as extreme *my state in Aussie has had zero new cases all week* but it's still happening...but it's definitely not the most important thing right now (if you said that last month, you might've been slapped)</p><p>black lives matter. black lives have always mattered. George was a HUMAN BEING. ALL the black lives lost at the hands of white policemen were all HUMAN. the fact that another human being--a person in power--could kill another human purely for the colour of their skin is despicable. </p><p>fuck racists. </p><p>also, fuck the police who stand behind a president who hides when they don't know what to do. </p><p>I'm not a political person, I'm not even American. but pls, for the love of god, vote trump OUT of office. </p><p>the fact that some people are fighting AGAINST this is...just fucking crazy. this shouldn't be a fight. it should be human equality for all, skin, religion, race aside. the fact that people are saying 'BUT' is fucking insane. </p><p>anyways. i could rant about it more but that's what my tumblr's for...*segway*...@mrscolesprouse </p><p>also, these past few months have been the worst for me mentally. i feel like i always say that but it's true. i had a very long depressive episode and now my anxiety is like getting in the way of living...so I'm sorry i don't know when the next chapter will come.</p><p>also I'm still working on it must be fate, I'm editing and fixing the earlier chapters but i've written two chapters for that...it'll come probably when i end this story :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. twenty-two part two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Jughead and Betty finally find each other again.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>omg. </p><p>dude.</p><p>it's been...ages.</p><p>i fricken love these babies and i wanted to get the last official chapter perfect--even if it took like 7 months...</p><p>honestly. the time since i last posted has been...intense...started my meds, moved houses, my grandma died...all things that took a huge toll on me...2020 was the worst year of my life so far and i seriously didn't want to live anymore. but damn, these two babies just keep me alive in more ways than one.</p><p>this story is my baby and i love her. i hope u love her as much as i do.</p><p>THANK YOU TO THE BEAUTIFUL KATE_CRUMBLE (VELVETSUGARBABEXO ON TUMBLR) FOR LOOKING OVER THIS CLUSTER OF WORDS! </p><p>ill shut up so u can read. COMMENT YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTES/PARTS LOVE YOU</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>twenty-two part two </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Hope is not a concept that Jughead gets to experience very often. If he’s honest with himself, he doesn’t really like to let himself hope in fear of disappointment. But, as she pulls back from his kiss and implies that she’s going to break up with her boyfriend for him, the hope is slowly leaking into his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rationally, he knows that they should have reconciled under different circumstances when she’s not in a relationship. When it doesn’t impact another person, who's seemingly innocent in all of this. He knows they shouldn’t have waited so long to rekindle their romance. Betty has been in New York for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>year. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They could’ve gotten coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows, though, why they didn’t and it’s the same reason Betty had to resist him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Admittedly, both of them were scared for their reconnection to result in failure or, possibly, even more, scared for the result of success. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What would they do? Where would they go? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The uncertainty of what was to come is what frightened them the most. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead knew that the timing had to be right. Whenever it was to happen, it had to be at a time that they were sure. And even though they had just kissed, it didn’t feel like it was the right time. And they both knew that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After their small chat on the stairs, they went back inside. People were dancing and laughing, Archie and Veronica were nowhere to be seen but would pop back up in a little while, disoriented and messed up from their romp in the janitor’s closet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For old time’s sake, he asked Betty to dance with him and she agreed, albeit hesitantly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>As friends, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she’d said, with her eyebrow arched. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rolled his eyes, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>So they danced and it was perfect. He’s still a bad dancer but that doesn’t really matter when he has her in his arms again, dancing like they were when they were fourteen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The soft massage of the water against her shoulders feels incredible as it hits her skin. It’s so hot in the bathroom that it’s almost all filled with vapour, but the heat quills some of the ache in her heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s back in New York now, Riverdale nothing but a memory. Except for the lingering new voice silently whispering into her ear. Dread. Guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s been avoiding all of Adam’s calls, all of his attempts to meet up with her and she feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The days have been bleeding together since she got back. Every day is the same routine over and over again of work; flipping through new cases, writing and rewriting stories, serving drinks and bar food. She’s been trying to clear her head, prepare herself for her conversation with Adam, but it keeps getting filled up with insecurity and guilt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every time she pictures sitting down with Adam and breaking up with him, she sees his heart-broken, crestfallen expression and instantly feels bad. Anytime she’s brought up the courage to </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> do it, she’ll spot something in her apartment that’ll remind her of him and immediately regret that she was thinking about ever hurting him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just keeps coming back to the same thing: Adam is just so </span>
  <em>
    <span>good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’s kind and thoughtful. He takes care of her, cherishes her and has never done anything to purposely harm her. He’s just </span>
  <em>
    <span>good </span>
  </em>
  <span>and he doesn’t deserve to have his heart broken by someone who just doesn’t know what she wants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he also doesn’t deserve to be led on by her either, and that’s her prime motivation to break up with him. </span>
</p><p><span>She has been avoiding Veronica as well because Betty knows exactly what her best friend will say and she just doesn’t</span> <span>need to be told that she should just grow some balls and do it. She loves Veronica to death but she’s in a loved up I-just-got-engaged daze and she doesn’t need to hear about how she should chase after her one true love. </span></p><p>
  <span>Betty’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>confused</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she doesn’t need anyone telling her what to do. She just needs to work it out for herself. But for now, she’ll procrastinate and put off breaking up with Adam until she’s backed into a corner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smooths the soapy loofah up the skin of her arm and across her chest, rubbing across her breasts and down her stomach. The water continues to hit the ground as she bends down to rub her legs before standing back up straight and rinsing the soap off her body. When she’s free of soap, she rinses the loofah off before hanging it back on its hook. Her skin tingles and a calmness settles over her as she closes her eyes and leans back into the soft stream of the rush of the water once more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Behind her eyelids she can see Adam, but not as she has been seeing him lately, sad and broken. No, she sees him climb on top of her and bury his face into her neck, sending tingles to her lower abdomen. She sees his hand slip down the front of her body and into her panties, rubbing her the way she likes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her own hand copies the movements in her imagination and she leans back against the tile of her bathroom wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As his index finger rubs her clit, he slowly inserts his middle finger into her and her moan echoes out of the shower. His finger thrusts in and out of her heat, running against the edge of her walls and she bites her lip at the sensation. He continues sucking on her neck before bringing his face up to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it’s not him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jughead </span>
  </em>
  <span>stares down at her and Betty’s eyes slam open, her hand abandoning its place between her legs and flying to her face in shock. Betty breathes deeply for a moment before placing her hands under the running water to wash off her hand before switching off the shower and stepping out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She groans out in frustration as she wraps a towel around her body and places her hands on the basin to collect herself before looking up at her reflection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her tired face looks back at her and she sighs, “This is bad, Betty. You’ve just gotta do it. You’re going to invite him over and you’re going to talk and everything’s going to be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods at herself in the mirror before shaking her head and walking away, “Why are you always talking to yourself?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty’s dressed now and pacing. Her phone is placed on her dresser and she keeps staring at it. The action of pacing is therapeutic, she tells herself, as she swivels around and paces again, but she knows she is lying to herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She picks up her phone, quickly hitting his contact and calling him before she backs out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It rings three times before he picks up, “Hey Betts,”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She exhales softly, making sure to not blow against the mic so he doesn’t ask her what’s wrong, “Hey. Um, you busy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam chuckles on the other side of the phone and she feels the ache in her chest increase, “I’ve always got time for you, babe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty closes her eyes and sits on her bed, “Can you come over?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam is silent for a moment before he speaks, a bit more rigid, “Yeah. Is everything okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her voice cracks, “Could you just get over here? Please?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can hear the tremble in his voice as he speaks again, “Of course, yeah. I’ll be there soon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty hangs up just like that. No sweet goodbye, no acknowledgement. If she sugar coats it, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to actually get it done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The resounding plop of her phone against her side table is what she thinks about as she lays down on her bed in resignment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His knock is hesitant and if she hadn’t been looking out for it, she doesn’t think she’d be able to hear it. She opens the door somberly and isn’t surprised when he doesn’t say hello straight away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walk over to her couch and sit silently. Betty looks at him for a moment before beginning, “Adam--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He interrupts softly, “Stop.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty closes her mouth abruptly and he continues, “Are you finally going to tell me what’s going on with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks at him, shocked for a moment, and he continues again, “I’m not stupid, Betty, no matter how many people think I am, I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think you’re stupid,” Betty says softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks at her softly, a sad smile on his face, “I know you don’t but,” he shrugs, “you’ve kind of been treating me like I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ache in her chest grows again and she feels a sadness settle over her. She’s already been hurting him. This whole time, she’s been hurting him simply for not wanting to hurt him. She feels terrible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I never meant to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam looks up at her and shuffles closer to her on the couch. He places his hand on her knee and she lets him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you didn’t. Betty, you are one of the kindest people I have ever met. The most ambitious, brilliant, </span>
  <em>
    <span>bravest</span>
  </em>
  <span> people I have ever met.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty’s lip begins to tremble and Adam’s face scrunches up in obvious heartbreak. He knows what’s coming before it has even begun. She doesn’t want to do this. She really, </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn’t want to do this. She wants to hold him, kiss him, keep him forever because she loves him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But you’re not </span>
  </em>
  <span>in</span>
  <em>
    <span> love with him, Betty.</span>
  </em>
  
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Adam--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has a sense of urgency about him now, “Tell me what’s going on, please. Tell me the truth.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty sighs and looks down at her lap, picking at her cuticles anxiously, “Um, I don’t know where to start.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam rubs her leg softly and she looks at it, “It sounds cliché but...the beginning maybe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks back down at her hands before placing them under her legs and turning her body to face him entirely. Adam takes his hand off her leg and places it with his other hand in his lap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She begins, “I met the love of my life when I was fourteen. I’d been in love with him for two years already at that point and I didn’t even really know his name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man across her looks sad but confused. She sighs before continuing, “He had a tough upbringing and it involved a lot of heartbreak between us. We had a couple of good years and then a rough patch and when we were eighteen, we broke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so heartbroken, my heart has never been put back together properly and I have never been able to love like I loved with him. I tried so hard to forget about how he made me feel, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> when it’s your soulmate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam’s looking down and picking at his jeans, disappointed. Betty can feel the tears rush to her eyes, “Adam, you’re everything a woman could ever want and I took it and used it to make myself feel better. You’re kind and loyal and respectful and handsome but no matter how much I tried to fall in love with you, I just couldn’t. I-I couldn’t because my heart already belongs to someone already.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tear slips down Adam’s face and she breaks. Her body becomes overwhelmed in sobs, “I love you so much, Adam but not the way you love me and I’m so sorry I can’t be that for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s silent for a moment before Adam breaks the air, his voice, croaky as if he hasn’t talked in years, “What, um, changed? What made you do this now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty sighs and closes her eyes in resignation, “Seeing him in Riverdale, when I went back for the reunion--or, I guess, the proposal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam looks up at her, a slight panic in his face, “Did you guys--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stops him abruptly, “No! No, I couldn’t do that to you, Adam.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He exhales and nods, relieved, but she can’t withhold the whole truth from him so she continues, hesitantly, “But we did...kiss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A large breath gets knocked out of him and the guilt builds under her skin as it has been for the last few weeks since it happened, “I’m so so sorry, Adam. I haven’t been able to face you because the guilt just festered under my skin. You don’t deserve this. You deserve someone better and someone who loves you as hard as you love them. You deserve--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Betty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She freezes, “What?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adam grabs her hands and turns to face her completely, looking up at her with his soft expression, “I understand. I know you. You’d never want to purposely hurt me and I know this is probably eating you up inside. I know you feel guilty. It’s okay. If you felt like you needed to kiss him to know what you want or need, that’s okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her brow furrows and she rubs her cheek with the back of her palm to get rid of the tears on her face, “No, it’s not. I should </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> have kissed him while I was dating you. I should not have kept leading you on. I should have been open about my feelings or at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>told</span>
  </em>
  <span> you about my history with Jughead before we started dating. What I did was </span>
  <em>
    <span>wrong, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Adam. I should’ve--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes are glassy despite the sad smile on his face, “But you didn’t, and that’s fine, so you can’t keep blaming yourself for all this. Betty, I chose to fall in love with you and it’s been amazing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> amazing. And this Jughead person is so lucky that he’s the owner of your heart. I hope he knows that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t really know what to say. She knew, subconsciously, that he loved her, but actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>hearing</span>
  </em>
  <span> him say it...she doesn’t know how to reply to that. She doesn’t know how to feel. It’s such a big risk, giving this up. She wants to hold on so badly but she knows it’s wrong, “Adam, I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughs humorlessly, “Don’t say sorry. We can’t change what lies in the hands of fate. What’s meant to be, will be and if </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>is what’s meant to be,” he shrugs helplessly, “then so be it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He places his hand on the side of her face and she leans into it gently. He smiles softly, but sadly, “I love you, Betty. I’ve loved you since we first met. But this isn’t my story and I don’t end up with you. And I think, subconsciously, I always knew it. I’m just the supporting character in this movie of your life and I’ll have to accept that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bites his lip and his smile remains, but his eyes dim even more, “You’re never going to be able to heal and be yourself fully with half of your soul missing. Sometimes, people are better as individuals, together than they are apart. Jughead is the other half of your soul therefore you can’t be who you are, truly, without him by your side.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>…the other half of your soul. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’s reading her like a book and she doesn’t know how to feel. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she nods and he takes his hand off her face. He stands and she looks up at him, silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope we’re friends again someday,” he sighs loudly, almost jokingly (but she can see the sadness around his eyes), “But for now, I have to mourn you, love. I’ll miss you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He begins to walk to her door but he stops as she whispers, “I’ll miss you too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turns back to her and leans down to press a deep kiss into her forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he’s gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And she’s alone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She just sits for a while. She doesn’t know if she said all she needed to say but if she had tried to say anymore, she knows she would’ve exploded with emotion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was good to her. Kind, giving. She’ll miss him, she thinks, but she’ll be better without him in the long run.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It doesn’t matter if it hurts now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It started raining a few hours ago but Jughead can only tell because of the tapping of it against his roof. All of his curtains have been drawn shut so it’s completely dark inside as he works. He can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span> that it’s raining, but he knows it is. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain has never been something Jughead has liked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He always associates it with cold nights in the trailer, his parents off doing God-knows-what and him cuddling up with his sister for warmth. It reminds him of all the times their roof would leak and all they could hear during the night is the </span>
  <em>
    <span>drip drip drip </span>
  </em>
  <span>of it landing on their old kitchen tiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain in New York is different from the rain in Riverdale, though. When it rained there, it was silent. The town would be cooped up in their homes and the streets would be empty. The town would be washed clean for when the sun would come out again. Here, the city bustles on. It’s still loud and the cars still cause traffic. He can still hear the restaurants down his street open and lively, with music and people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He still hates the rain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It makes him sad, he thinks, the overall dreariness of the rain. Sure, it matches his all-round dark aesthetic, but he’d rather it be snowing than </span>
  <em>
    <span>raining. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s something about this rain though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>different. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s been around a month since Riverdale. He hates to admit it but every day as the weeks pass, he’d think of her. He knows he shouldn’t be. He knows he needs to let her do what she needs to do and he should just leave her as a thought at the back of his mind until she’s ready for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he </span>
  <em>
    <span>can’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Because there’s that little inkling of hope that he hates so much calling to him. That pesky little liar that whispers things in his ears, things he could only ever dream of having. He can’t help but feel a little excited anytime he thinks of her because at least now he knows they’ll be together again someday.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter how long it takes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he knows it’s pathetic. That he’s waiting. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Pining</span>
  </em>
  <span> again like he did when he was twelve. Archie couldn’t believe it when Jughead had told him what had transpired and what he was willing to do for her. He’d been ecstatic for his best friend, </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but he’d also looked at him with somewhat of fond amusement. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You don’t know how long she’ll make you wait.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He’d said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re going to give yourself a wrist sprain!” </span>
  </em>
  <span> Jughead had slapped him across the head and reaffirmed to Archie how much Betty meant to him, even if it meant years of waiting, </span>
  <em>
    <span>(“I’d die without sex if it meant I could have her again.) </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s his </span>
  <em>
    <span>soulmate. </span>
  </em>
  <span>His person. He’d wait for a thousand years if it meant he’d get to be with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, the rain continues. The sun hangs heavy in the sky, shrouded by the clouds that surround it, the city covered in darkness, ready for impending nightfall. Jughead’s eyes are tired and he feels the purple bruises under them darken and sink further into his skin. He leans back in his desk chair, running his hands across his face before looking back down at his unfinished manuscript. He sighs, looking at the fifteen pages he barely managed to get out, before standing up and shutting his laptop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He draws back the window curtain to see the city’s darkness, arriving early due to the rain. He shuts his curtain and turns to walk out of his office/living area. He walks left to go down his hall and into the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s pretty lucky. His apartment isn’t as shitty as what he thought he’d be living in at this age. He’d been in a shitty dorm in college but after his book sold, he’d bought this loft. It was sectioned off with tall shelves and storage cupboards that didn’t reach the ceiling. It was mostly grey but had enough colour that it didn’t look like he was a vampire, living in the dark eternally. It was big--big for a New York studio apartment--and it was all his. Jughead loves his apartment, his home. He’d gladly stay cooped up by himself, eating nothing but pizzas and burgers, increasingly growing outward and writing novels until the end of time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rounds his kitchen table and switches on his coffee machine, placing a mug underneath as it begins to pour inside. The soft, steady cadence of the dark liquid dripping into his ceramic mug mixes in with the gentle stream of rain that patters against his roof. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He closes his eyes, feeling the calming sounds lull him into a sense of peace, time stopping for a short moment before the world starts up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly and abruptly, there are a series of knocks on the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The coffee machine switches off, dinging in alert that the coffee is ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinging in alert that what he’s been waiting for is finally here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The walk to the door is a slow build-up for what awaits on the other side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air feels tense as he walks down his hallway to the door, the coffee abandoned where he left it, still under the coffee pump. It feels as if he’s walking in water, the air around him thick with anticipation. Or as if the time has stopped but he’s still moving at the same pace. Each step feels as long as it does short. He feels the rug beneath him as he walks, step, step, step until he reaches the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pauses for a moment--he wouldn’t normally--but he does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then he opens the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And there she is, dripping wet from the rain and crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he can get anything out, she speaks, “I left him,” </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>for you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she seems to finish. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t know what she’s doing here, dripping wet and soaking all over his welcome mat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t know what she’s doing here as she knocks onto his door in quick succession. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t know what led her here in the first place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d promised herself she’d wait, that she’d give herself time to heal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But here she is, at her ex-boyfriend’s door, crying and vulnerable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He opens the door, in all his handsome glory, his raven hair flopping gently across his forehead, his dazzling blue eyes glistening with curiosity </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I left him,” </span>
  <em>
    <span>for you. Because I love you. Because I’ll always love you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because I don’t know how I lived without you at all. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>His face softens and he smiles slightly, “Come in.” he says, opening the door for her and welcoming her into his home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She steps into his apartment and he shuts the door behind her. His heart is beating so fast he doesn’t really know what to say or do. He surveys her for a moment before realizing she’s probably freezing so he leads her towards his bedroom and makes her wait for a moment as he grabs a pair of sweatpants, boxers and a shirt for her to change into, as well as getting her a towel to allow her to dry off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gestures for her to use his bedroom to change and she nods in gratitude. He smiles tightly before walking out of his bedroom and shutting the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His apartment is nice, </span>
  <em>
    <span>perfect for him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she decides. His bedroom is nice too, </span>
  <em>
    <span>clean</span>
  </em>
  <span>, for a twenty-two-year-old single man living alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She quickly removes her sweater, blouse and bra, all of which are soaked through completely causing chills to envelop her body. She begins to shiver as she picks up the towel and wraps it around her shoulders, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She taps herself dry before grabbing his grey shirt, worn out and faded from its years of use and slipping it over her now-dry body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She smiles slightly, it smells like him. She feels warmer already. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She slips her pants and panties down her legs and taps that dry too before putting on his boxers and sweatpants. They hang off her body but she’s never felt more comfortable in her life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty places her wet clothes in the towel, wrapping it up, before tucking it under her arm and opening his door to walk down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead is sitting in his lounge room, elbows on his knees anxiously biting at his fingernail. He looks up and his eyes drag along her body for a moment before remembering himself and clearing his throat,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty bites her lip anxiously, “Yeah, I’m okay. Warmer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead raises his eyebrow and his lips tip up in a half-smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That’s not what I meant, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he seems to say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighs, “I’m--I don’t know Jughead. I don’t know why I’m even here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead sighs before standing up and tentatively laying his hand out for her to grab. She looks at it for a moment before grabbing it and he begins to lead her down the hallway and into his bedroom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pauses at the door and raises an eyebrow. She crosses her arms against her chest, “That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead honest-to-God belly-laughs before sitting down, “Look, my lounge room might look nice, but it’s uncomfortable as shit. I have a feeling this conversation is going to be a fairly long one so I’d like to be comfortable. If you don’t feel comfortable on the bed, totally understand, you can sit on the ottoman, but I’m telling you right now, don’t. I’ve fallen asleep on that and that, too, is uncomfortable as fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty half-scoff-half-chuckles at him before sitting on the edge of the bed, “Fair enough.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s silent for a moment. Jughead scratches the back of his neck anxiously as she plays with the hem of her (</span>
  <em>
    <span>his,</span>
  </em>
  <span> she supposes) shirt. She can hear the pattering of the rain against his roof and she looks up to see his high ceilings. It’s such a nice sp--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When’d you break up with him?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks back down at him as if she’s just come smack-bang down to earth again. Suddenly she can’t hear the rain, her ears are ringing and her chest is tight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks over at him and sighs. She speaks in barely a whisper, like she’s ashamed, “Today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead exhales loudly and she continues, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Earlier. I wasn’t planning on coming here, I don’t really know what happened. I went out for a walk to clear my head, I mean I had just broken someone’s heart and I felt bad so I just needed some air, but it started raining.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty feels tears well up in her eyes and her bottom lip shakes a little, “All I could think about was you and how much you hate the rain. How much it made you upset. And the thought of you being upset right now was enough to make me cry. Because I’d already made someone else upset and I didn’t want anyone else to be, so I found myself walking in the direction of your apartment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s rambling now, “I always knew where it was, I remember Archie telling me, but I could barely even look in its direction without thinking of you, of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>what-ifs. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But I found myself walking, then running, to come to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A tear drips down her face and onto her lap. She doesn’t know when she stopped looking at him and started looking at her lap but the tear soaks through the sweatpants she wears, making her feel it against the skin of her leg. A rush of cold sweeps her body and she shivers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I could think about was wrapping you in my arms again and closing my eyes and dreaming that we were fourteen, dancing and laughing at our stupid dances and forgetting all of our troubles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sob escapes her mouth and she looks over at him. He’s staring at her lap, now soaked with tears. His eyes are glistening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shuffles towards him, “There wasn’t a time that I didn’t think of you and it made me feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrible. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sometimes I’d dream that it was you making love to me and not </span>
  <em>
    <span>him </span>
  </em>
  <span>and I would tear my hands apart in guilt because I was thinking of another man when I was with someone else. But I couldn’t stop. Because,” she hiccups and Jughead places his hand on her thigh, “I was missing the other half of my soul, the person who fit me perfectly and I could never forget that. No matter how much I tried to. No matter how much I tried to push the thought away, it always, </span>
  <em>
    <span>always</span>
  </em>
  <span> came back to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s all he’s ever wanted to hear and for it to be finally said, he doesn’t know if his reaction is what he thought it would’ve been. He thought he’d been wrapping her in his arms, kissing every inch of her skin and making slow gentle love to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he’s still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes are glued to her lap, where it’s covered in her tears and he knows he wants to wrap her in his arms but he can’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not under these circumstances. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She broke up with her boyfriend </span>
  <em>
    <span>today. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It just feels wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betty--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turns her full body to him and reaches out to place his face in her palms, “Before you say anything, I love you. I’ll never stop. I never could stop. And I don’t want to stop.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead looks down and her hands pry his face up to look back into her eyes. She continues, “And I know I’m stupid and that I shouldn’t be doing this but this is the clearest my brain has been in four years. It’s the <em>surest</em></span>
  <span> I’ve felt in four years.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Doesn’t she know? Doesn’t she know she could never be stupid? And that he aches to reach out to her? Doesn’t she know that this is the first time he can breathe properly since he saw her last? Doesn’t she know that he too, is in love with her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leans down to place his forehead on hers, “Betty. All I ever wanted was you to find your way back to me but I don’t know if this feels right, </span>
  <em>
    <span>today.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stop. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stop. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re getting everything you wanted. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty’s face crumples again, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He continues, “I just--” </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop, </span>
  </em>
  <span>“don’t want you to make a decision that you regret. You’re heartbroken right now and I don’t ever want to be a rebound.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty sobs, “You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>not. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You could never be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But can you see it from my point of view? You broke up with Adam </span>
  <em>
    <span>today.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She visibly flinches at his name and she let’s go of his face with her hands. She then brings her hands up to cover her face and sob into it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart cracks at the sight of her, the strongest person he knows, overcome with sadness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighs and wraps his arms around her shoulders, succumbing to his biggest urge of all. She freezes and then immediately relaxes into his arms, sobbing harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so sorry. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m so sorry,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she sobs, into his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He squeezes her tighter, “It’s okay, don’t say sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks up at him, “I’m a terrible person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead knows her better than anyone, well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew her</span>
  </em>
  <span> better than anyone. He knows her and her insecurities. He knows how low she thinks of herself and even though he believes it’s purely unjustified for her to feel that way, he understands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows she thinks less of herself than everyone else does. He knows that she thinks she needs to keep working harder and harder, constantly spreading herself impossibly thin, before she can truly acknowledge herself as a hardworking and successful human. He even knows what she thinks when she gets up in the morning and sees </span>
  <em>
    <span>Betty Cooper. </span>
  </em>
  <span>No makeup, no ponytail, no cute little sweater. Just Betty Cooper, bedhead, patterned pyjama pants and undereye bags. She sees someone who needs to do better. Someone who isn’t good enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And no matter how many times he’d told her in the past as teens that she was nothing past absolutely brilliant, she’d smile sadly and nod but never agree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He understands her, no matter how many years have passed. He understands the guilt she must’ve felt while being with a man and thinking of another one. He understands how bad she must’ve felt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that doesn’t warrant her as a terrible person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead furrows his brows and shakes his head, “No, you’re not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leans back even more and begins to look angry, “Yes, I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tilts his head,  “Betty--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stands abruptly, “I would stand in my shower and touch myself thinking of you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And then I’d come back to bed, where Adam would be, and pretend like I didn’t just dream of you between legs. For a </span>
  <em>
    <span>year. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I led this poor person on, a person who was slowly falling in love with me and I did </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He shuts his eyes for a moment, trying to flush back the image of her touching herself to him. He cranes his neck to the side, “Yeah but that doesn’t make you a terrible person.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty scoffs, “Doesn’t it?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He, too, stands, “Betty…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looks around, “I don’t even know why I’m here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead steps forward and grabs her wrist gently, “I do. I think subconsciously your heart’s had enough and wanted to come back to me. And I want it back and I still want you to have mine as you have had for the past ten years. But I just don’t think your head’s in the right place right now for that to happen quite yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty’s face crumbles again, “But I miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead feels his heart crack, </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh baby, I miss you too.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t realize he’s said it out loud until he sees her reaction to the words. She steps towards him and places her forehead on his. He hesitantly places his hands on the skin of her waist under his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty whispers, “Please let me kiss you. Please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh Betty, you never have to beg. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He nods and dives in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart is racing and her lips are buzzing. He’s kissing her like a man starved, he’s kissing her. Long and deep, making every single heartstring rapture like a volcano. She missed his kiss, </span>
  <em>
    <span>God did she, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and now she’s drinking him in like a drug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, ever so slowly, she begins to walk forward, bringing him with her and gently pushing him down to the bed. She continues to kiss him as she straddles him and he groans into her mouth before detaching their lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betty, this isn’t a good idea,” He says, though she knows by the look on his face that he wants this as bad as she does.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighs, “If you want me to go, I will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knows he doesn’t want her to, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>hopes </span>
  </em>
  <span>he doesn’t want her to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he’s right.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her heart is just missing him but her head isn’t thinking. Her heart yearns to be back with its other half but her head knows that she needs time, </span>
  <em>
    <span>more time, </span>
  </em>
  <span>than just one day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead bites his lip then looks away, “I don’t want you to but I think you should.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty nods sadly then stands, “I’m gonna call a cab.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead shakes his head for a second then rethinks and nods, not saying anything. She steps back from him and bites her lip, trying to stop it from quivering. Betty turns around and heads out his door and down his hallway, grabbing his landline, dialling in the cab number and ordering it to his apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she waits, she sits out in his living room, her hands covering her eyes as she sobs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hears his gentle footsteps on the floor but does not look up at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only when she feels the pressure of the seat dip as he sits next to her does she look up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His face is covered in the track lines of his tears and his eyes are swollen from crying. His hands have a slight shake and his leg is bouncing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He speaks, with a rasp from his crying, “I don’t ever want to see you walk away from me again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She exhales and he launches to her lips. She breathes him in, his desperate kiss, his wandering hands, the taste of salt from his tears on her lips. She places her hands on his face and kisses him back harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Juggie,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she groans into his lips, “Make love to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, he can’t resist, standing up and grabbing her before lifting her up and wrapping her legs around his body, placing his hands on her thighs. She tightens her hold on him as he begins to walk towards his bedroom, kissing her desperately. He slams her at the edge of his doorway, kissing down her neck and behind her ear and she groans in frustration.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She can feel the desire rush between her legs and soak her panties. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty moans out into the abyss of the hallway in pleasure, practically burning to feel his cock between her legs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Juggieee,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she whines as he kisses the crook of her neck but makes no further movement to his bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckles into her neck and she feels the vibrations run down her spine, tighten her nipples and tingle her clit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is there something you would like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Elizabeth?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He says, pulling out of her neck and staring her down, still holding her up against the wall, “Because I don’t think you deserve it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty groans, “I know I’ve been unfair, Jug. But how can I make it up to you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead smirks and pulls her up towards him again, walks them into his bedroom and plops her down on the bed, “Oh, you know exactly how to make it up to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty leans up on her elbows and smirks, biting her lip, “Hell yeah I do. I bet you’ve never had anyone better than me and that you’re just dying to get inside me again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead grabs her ankles and pulls her closer to the edge of the bed, prying her legs apart and spreading them nice and wide, “Don’t talk to me like that. You don’t get to tell me how to feel, or what I want. Tonight, I’m telling you what to do, as your punishment for making me wait for four-goddamn-years for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty makes a noise that’s in between a gasp and a scoff that causes Jughead to tighten his hold on her ankles, “What was that?” He says, in a deep sexy voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty begins, “N--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, what did I say? Don’t talk back to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty huffs, “But you asked me a question.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead presses a knee on the bed, in the space between her legs, “Don’t be sassy with me, or this is going to be a long night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead climbs over her and nuzzles her nose when he reaches her face, “But tell me if you want me to stop okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bites at his nose, “Don’t get soft on me now, Jones.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead chuckles and moves his pelvis down so that she can feel his erection in his pants, “You think I’m getting soft?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty giggles and leans up to kiss his neck, “That’s not what I meant.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he says, before moving back down so his face is aligned with the front of her sweatpants. He uses his teeth to undo the elastic tied around her waist. Betty sighs happily as Jughead hooks his fingers under her sweatpants and boxers and pulls them down in one swoop, leaving her half-bare for him. She quickly crosses her arms over her t-shirt and pulls it up and over her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She now lays naked--bar socks--and he’s looking at her in awe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s the same but </span>
  <em>
    <span>different. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her curves are more defined, her breasts are larger, her legs are longer. She’s grown into an even more beautiful version of herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(He didn’t even think that was possible.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her hair is loose and she looks like an angel spread out across his bed. He has to blink his eyes a few times just to make sure he isn’t dreaming because he swears he’s had this dream before. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he mutters quietly to himself, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Fuck, Betty.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggles and throws her hands above her head, arching her back and puffing her chest out, “Do your worst, Juggie.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He swears he doesn’t remember how he got from looking over her to his face shoved between her legs, eating her out like a man starved. Betty throws her head back and groans out loudly into the air of his bedroom, quickly placing her hands in his hair and shoving his head further in between her legs, practically riding his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His nose hits her clit as he thrusts his tongue deep inside her over and over again and he can’t remember a time where anyone reacted so enthusiastically to his face shoved between their legs. His hands are wrapped around her thighs and he slowly brings her thighs up so her knees bend naturally and cage around his face and head. Now, with her legs wrapped around his head, she rolls her hips to the rhythm of his thrusts, making a beautiful joint cadence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s riding the wave of ecstasy before he even knows it, leaping hard-and-fast over the edge. He groans into her as she cums, completely enthralled by her honey flooding his mouth and the slight arch of her already bent back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He releases his mouth from her and looks up at her, her head thrown back and her chest rising and falling rapidly from the exertion. He begins to slowly kiss up her stomach and to her chest, taking extra time focusing on her breasts before joining his lips with hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her sweet lips give some respite to the saltiness of her tang on his tongue and she moans into his mouth at the taste.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Juggie…” She whispers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he says, pulling his shirt off and unbuckling his pants, pulling them down with his boxers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reaches over to his nightstand and opens the drawer, grabbing the (unopened) box of condoms and ripping it open to grab one. As he shakes his pants off his legs, he uses his teeth to rip open the condom and slip it on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s looking at him with what he can only describe as adoration. When he’s finally in position, she reaches up and caresses his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you, Juggie.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leans his forehead against hers, “I missed you more, Betts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as he enters her, it isn’t lust ridden, despite how it started. It’s filled with the need to speak without speaking. To communicate all their pent up feelings without uttering a single word. It isn’t plain and vanilla but it isn’t kinky. It’s the undefinable feeling of completeness in the air. The feeling of being completely whole once more. A feeling they both haven’t felt in what feels like a lifetime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It feels like a dance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(They always come back to the dance.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a careful push and pull between them, moving perfectly in time with one another. So in-sync as they breathe together, the patter of the rain against the roof their music as they continue to dance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His thrusts are slow and careful, filling her spaces fully, in a way she’s never imagined before. Her walls squeeze him perfectly and he groans into her ear that he’s close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knows she is too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as they fall off the cliff together, it’s as if something in the world has clicked back into place and all is right again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s snuggled up next to him, her face buried in his neck as he traces shapes along her arm. They’re blissed out from their intense lovemaking and all is quiet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seems the rain has stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She peeks up at him but he’s already looking down at her, his face in a state of contentment only one can understand after being reunited with the other half of their soul. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gets it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The colours seem brighter, her hearing feels heightened and she swears she can feel her fingers buzzing with electricity. His blue eyes are brighter than she’s ever seen and he wears that soft smile that she’s reserved as hers. He leans forward and gives her an eskimo kiss with his nose and she giggles. His face lights up at the sound and he leans in to give her a kiss, stealing her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she pulls back, she looks at his face and smiles, “This is forever, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead leans forward and nods, their noses rubbing again, “Forever and on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re sitting up, still naked, on his bed, eating Chinese food. She’d called the taxi company and apologised for making the taxi wait thirty minutes outside his apartment before leaving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(She hadn’t needed to, of course, but she’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Betty. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She feels </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad.) </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead is using chopsticks to eat his Mongolian lamb and Betty is slurping her Chow Mein, the sauce dripping all over her chin and making her undoubtedly look unattractive as fuck but she doesn’t care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>happy. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The love of her life is sitting next to her, his robe open, baring his glorious body, and his nose crinkled up in concentration as he tries to use his chopsticks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(When she’d asked if he wanted a fork, he’d insisted he knew what he was doing. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>did, kind of, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but when he drops a piece of lamb on the skin of his leg, he mutters a quiet </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck </span>
  </em>
  <span>then proceeds to pick it up with his finger and shove it into his mouth, licking his fingers before concentrating on getting his grip right so that he can use the chopsticks again.) </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She missed this. She missed her person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She missed the little things he would do and his cute little mannerisms. She missed his floppy hair and his big hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She missed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The past was always against them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had given them </span>
  <em>
    <span>their people </span>
  </em>
  <span>and then snatched them away, always stuck in a dance of </span>
  <em>
    <span>right person, wrong time. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And now they’re here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right person, right time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stops eating and looks up at him, “Promise everything will be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pauses eating and looks up at her, his face relaxed but pensive, “I want to promise that. </span>
  <em>
    <span>God, </span>
  </em>
  <span>do I want to. But we can’t really promise that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty nods and looks down, sad that she’s ruined the mood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He continues, “But I can promise that </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> will be. That I won’t repeat this, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we </span>
  </em>
  <span>won’t repeat history. I had to learn from the things I did wrong in the past, like me taking you for granted and me pushing you away. I had to learn those things and reap the consequences to get back here. With you. I had to understand what it felt like to lose you or else I wouldn’t have known that I couldn’t live without you. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So I know now, although it sucked at the time, that everything in the past happened for a reason. And I know now what to do so that that doesn’t arise in the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty smiles, nodding. And she knows too, she thinks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If she didn’t lose him, she probably wouldn’t have known what it was like to have a soulmate. What it was like to lose your other half and try and live life without them. And she’s glad she knows what that feels like because she doesn’t ever want to feel like that again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He continues, “There will be tough days, as there always are but we’ll get through it because we always do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>We can’t even begin to know what lies in the future, but as long as I have you, I’ll be happy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The leftover food has gone cold but he doesn’t really care because he has his soulmate cuddled up in his arms. He kisses her head and buries his face in her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty whispers into his chest like she’s telling a secret, “I’m still so scared though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He removes himself from her hair and pulls out to bring her face up to look at him, “Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She whispers, brokenly, “What if this doesn’t work?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He exhales, her insecurities once more coming to the surface. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t scared too, their past could only say so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it’s different this time. They’re adults. They know, just like he said, that they can’t repeat the past because they’ve learned from it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he kisses her head again and tries to reassure her one more time, </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Betty, if we want this to work, we have to talk. If you feel like shit or if I’ve done something, even if it feels insignificant, we have to talk about it. We can’t repeat Toledo, we can’t repeat Prom night. If we feel a certain way, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to communicate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nods into his chest and he continues, “But Betty, I know it will. Because it’s us. And everything eventually comes back to us being together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And I love you. This will work. It has to. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s on top of him, kissing his neck and straddling his legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smells so perfect, tastes so perfect. She really doesn’t know how she was living without him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grabs her face from his neck and kisses her deeply before pulling out and looking into her eyes. She can see the conflict in his eyes like he’s scared to say what he wants to say but she wants him to. Because she </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Jughead inhales roughly before exhaling, “Betty...I love you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Betty exhales. She’s dreamt of him saying those words to her again and now that she’s hearing them again, she promptly bursts into tears. The last four years have been leading up to him saying them again and her being able to say it back to him, with no hesitation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Six years. It’s been six years since she first said to him and even then, the reaction she got was not what she was expecting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is how it’s meant to happen, wrapped up in love and completely overwhelmed by the person beneath her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabs his face and kisses his nose, “Jug, I love you more. I’ll always love you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Forever and on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>epilogue coming soon</em><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>share ur thoughts with me on tumblr @mrscolesprouse (never changing that name, it's a personality trait) </p><p>epilogue coming! it'll be shorter than this :) the wait will be too ;)</p><p>also don’t feel bad for adam, i’ve had a short little storyline set for him since the start. you’ll see him in the future :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>next part out soon :)</p><p>come tumble with me @mrscolesprouse we have fun over there</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>